“It felt like my life was falling apart.”

“But everything is in control now,” shared Shah*.

Like many migrant workers, Shah first came to Singapore to work in hopes of providing a better life for his family of six back in Bangladesh.

Soon after he started work in 2007, a string of unfortunate events hit.

It began with his father’s diagnosis of cancer, then his wife’s stomach ulcers, followed by his own chronic medical condition – an inflammatory bowel disease that caused him to suffer from gastric issues, skin problems and chest pain.

Being the sole breadwinner, Shah was under immense pressure and had to take on loans to pay off mounting medical bills.

His mental and physical health deteriorated as a result.

In 2020, his friend introduced him to HealthServe.

At our Geylang clinic, Shah began receiving affordable and regular medical care. Our casework team also stepped in to provide financial assistance and case support, equipping Shah with a better understanding of insurance claims which helped to cover a significant $16,000 of medical bills.

However, Shah still had outstanding outpatient bills.

To ensure he continues to receive timely treatment, HealthServe provided him co-payment subsidies and also partnered with a crowd-fundraising agency that helped rally support from the Singapore community.

Since, Shah has become more financially independent and is taking steps to seek his employer’s support for his medical treatment; they are now actively working towards a co-payment arrangement. Shah has also been successful in paying off his debts, much to his satisfaction and relief (and ours too!).

Now under the care of specialist doctors in Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Shah is well on the road to recovery.

He shared with us that he can now sleep better and pay more attention to his health.

We are glad to have been able to journey with him thus far, and will continue to support him in his long-term care plan.

The resilience and independence demonstrated by Shah, and many migrant brothers who come through HealthServe’s doors, inspire us every day.

Let us continue to work towards a society where every migrant worker lives #alifeofdignity.

*Not his real name