An Indian mother is in hospital after suffering a massive heart attack on Monday while on holidays in Australia. Sixty nine year old Sulochana Ben Bhavasar was visiting her daughter and her family in Melbourne, when she suffered a heart attack on Monday, 6th November 2017.
According to the friend of Sulochana Ben’s son-in-law, Jignesh Patel, the in-laws had been in Australia for around six months and were due to go back to India on the 17th of November.
Even though the in-laws have medical insurance with The New India Assurance Co.Ltd, yet the company is refusing to cover their medical cost. According to Jignesh, the insurance company cited ‘pre-existing conditions’ as the reason for their refusal. Sulochana Ben suffered from hypertension and Type 2 diabetes in the past.
“The doctors have written a letter to the insurance company stating that they are correlating two wrong things. There is no connection between her preexisting conditions and the heart attack”’ he told SBS Punjabi.
The doctors at the hospital, however, have a different opinion. They have written a letter to the insurance company stating that there is no correlation between the preexisting conditions and the heart attack, but the insurance company is refusing to budge.
SBS Punjabi has contacted the insurance company for clarification and their response is awaited.
Due to this situation, the family is facing serious financial crisis. Her daughter has two young kids and works part time and the son-in-law works as a machine operator with a company. They are paying around $5000 per day to keep Sulochana Ben in ICU. Sulochana Ben has undergone a surgery today to have a pace maker implanted in her heart. This has come at an added cost to the family. According to Jignesh, the total medical expenses are expected to cross $90,000.
“They don’t have much money. Insurance company is refusing to co-operate. The cost is likely to go up to 90,000 dollars,” he said.
Friends have started a GoFundMe page to assist the family with the medical cost.
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