A grateful mother in Dubai told how she shed tears of joy after a benevolent businessman stepped in to pay her Dh57,000 hospital bill for the care of her twins born prematurely.
Monica Pentio Tubo, 25, who works as a nanny, said she and her husband, a cleaner at a salon, were unable to clear the dues at NMC Royal Hospital.
Ms Pentio Tubo said she was only able to bring her children home from NMC Royal Hospital last week when she handed her passport over to the hospital as a guarantee that she would not leave the country without paying the debt.
Although the children are now in good health, the new mother quickly used up her annual health insurance allowance of Dh150,000 during the number of weeks of care they received.
Hasan Fardan Al Fardan, chief executive of Al Fardan Exchange, made the donation after finding out about the couple's situation through a story in The National this week.
Ms Pentio Tubo has been overwhelmed by the support from the public.
"We are over the moon. I couldn't believe it when I found out the bill had been paid," she said.
"My husband and I were crying tears of joy when we found out.
"It is amazing that people were able to help us. We didn't expect it at all."
She said other members of the community had also helped the couple by donating groceries and clothing.
Mr Al Fardan said he was delighted to have the opportunity to help a family in need.
"The most enlightening experience is that of giving back to the communities we serve and kindness is a language that the Al Fardan family understands," he said.
"As a family and a business, we feel the sense of responsibility for constructive involvement in our diverse communities within the UAE. Most importantly, we are happy to know that Monica and her newborns are safe and healthy."
Ms Pentio Tubo, who earns Dh1,500 a month, would make a daily trip from her home in Bur Dubai to the hospital, on the other side of the city, to see her daughters, Adori Emanuela and Amori Nathaniela, while they underwent treatment.
The National contacted NMC Health, who said Ms Pentio Tubo was allowed to take her children home after she made a guarantee to pay the outstanding amount.
The bill would have been higher but for a Dh20,000 discount offered by the hospital.
Under rules governing donations, members of the public can help the couple pay off the bill, as long as payments are directly made to the hospital.
Fund-raising, particularly on social media, without an agreement with an official charity is against the law.
Hospital says family were made aware of cost of treatment
"Being portrayed as trying to make money out of somebody’s misery is a challenge in healthcare you always face," a spokesman for NMC Royal Hospital said.
“[The potential costs] were explained to her and her husband well in advance and they gave their written consent before we admitted them.
“Now the kids are healthy and ready to be discharged, she has said she doesn’t have the money.
“We were not [refusing to release the children] but somebody had to give a guarantee.
“She was fully told how much it would cost and when the children would be able to be released.”
He said Ms Pentio Tubo suggested the idea of handing over her passport, until she paid off the debt, which the hospital accepted because they had no other form of guarantee from her.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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Votes
Total votes: 1.8 million
Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes
Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
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Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
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Fuel consumption, combined: 7.4L / 100km
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
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Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
England v New Zealand
(Saturday, 12pm UAE)
Wales v South Africa
(Sunday, 12pm, UAE)
Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
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Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
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THE SPECS
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Power: 165hp
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