Hyderabad: A man belonging to Hyderabad working in Saudi Arabia Jaffar Ahmed, faced a dire situation after being exposed to hazardous chemical fumes at his workplace. Jaffar suffered an asthmatic attack that required hospitalisation.
The severity of his condition made it impossible for Jaffar, who worked as a supervisor for Al Jawharah for Cartoons Industries in Jeddah, to continue, leading him to seek a return home to India.
However, the Hyderabad man’s attempts to return home were hindered by his Kafeel (sponsor), who denied him exit despite his health concerns. He was left in a lurch without support for basic necessities such as food and medicine.
The Hyderabad man moved from Jeddah to Riyadh to stay with his relatives and seek support.
Jaffar moved to Saudi Arabia in February this year after he was offered a job as a supervisor in Jeddah. After incurring an expense of nearly Rs 50,000 for his medical check-up and travel, the Hyderabad man fell ill due to exposure to harmful chemical fumes at work, which worsened his existing sinusitis.
Jaffar’s case is not an isolated one of the plight of migrant workers. Labourers in the Gulf often encounter hazardous working conditions and inadequate support from their sponsors.
A study conducted on acute chemical poisoning incidents in Saudi Arabia by the National Library of Medicine, the National Center for Biotechnology Information, revealed alarming trends, particularly among non-Saudi workers who are often more vulnerable due to their precarious legal status and lack of access to healthcare.
In the case of the Hyderabad man Jaffar, his father, Aijaz Ahmed, in a letter to the Union minister of external affairs S Jaishankar, urged intervention for his return. They have requested that officials communicate with his Kafeel to facilitate his safe return home and ensure that he receives the necessary medical attention.
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The case came to light after the Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) leader shared the Hyderabad man’s plight on social media urging the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate General in Jeddah to intervene and ensure the man’s safety and return home.
