ALAPPUZHA: Life had been good for Manoj Kumar P and his family until five years ago. The 53-year-old native of Shayamalalayam in AN Puram ward of Alappuzha municipality owned and ran a hotel in Qatar, earning enough to provide for his wife and daughter.
At the end of 2019, he came home for a vacation and was to return in two months. That was when the pandemic hit, and Manoj’s financial and health troubles began.
Like several countries, Qatar too closed its borders for over six months, due to which Manoj’s hotel business took a hit. He lost Rs 2.5 crore, money he had saved over 25 years – he had worked in supervisory posts in various companies in Qatar since 1994 – and invested in the venture.
In the two years that followed, Manoj and his family survived on loans and other earnings that they managed. After the pandemic scare subsided, he geared up to return to Qatar for a job that one of his friends offered.
“As part of the visa process, I underwent a medical examination in Ernakulam in July 2022. Based on the report, the agency that conducted the medical test referred me to Lourdes Hospital in Kochi. There, the doctor found that my creatinine level was 8.35. Subsequent tests revealed both my kidneys had failed,” said Manoj.
“I had no money for treatment. A house and land I owned in Alappuzha were sold to repay bank loans that I had taken to run the business in Qatar. We sold my wife’s ornaments and took loans for treatment. After three months, the doctors advised me dialysis to continue living. We also shifted to Ernakulam. For over a year, I underwent dialysis in a private hospital in Ernakulam, paying Rs 30,000 per month for the procedure and other medicines. Later, the treatment continued at the medical college hospital in Kalamassery. It brought us some respite,” Manoj said.
Replacing a kidney is lone option for Manoj to live. Though registered at ‘Mrithasanjeevani’, a portal for organ donors, Manoj could not get a suitable kidney. Though his wife Dhanya is ready to donate, she can’t as an examination revealed she is suffering from some heart ailments and cannot go under the knife.
The transplantation would cost around Rs 25 to 30 lakh, amount the family, which is neck deep in debt, cannot afford. They are now seeking the help from generous-minded people. “Humans are helpless in front of destiny. Some people helped us, but a majority closed the doors on us when we needed help,” said Manoj.
How to help
The family has started a bank account where people can deposit donations
Bank: Federal Bank
Branch: Kalarcode branch, Alappuzha
Account No: 12694100004205
IFSC: FDRL0001269
GPay: 9847055541