Saudi Arabia: Telangana man dies of heart attack in bathroom

Riyadh: A Telangana worker died of a heart attack while in a bathroom in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, leaving behind his wife and two young children. His mortal remains were brought to his native village on Sunday, November 1, with assistance from the Gulf Workers Awareness Center (GWAC).

Sai Prasad, a resident of Ailapur village in Korutla mandal of Jagtial districth, died on October 20. According to his family, he suffered a heart attack while in the bathroom. He had reportedly been unwell for several days and had sought medical treatment.

GWAC, along with volunteers Mohammed Farooq, Abdul Rafiq and Badugu Lakshman, facilitated the repatriation of his body from Saudi Arabia to India. Mohammed Farooq, a social worker and GWAC member, was among those who assisted the family.

Sai Prasad’s brother, Vijay Kumar, said the family did not incur any expenses for bringing the body back to India.

GWAC rejects allegations of demanding money

In a statement, GWAC denied allegations that it had demanded money from the family for repatriating Sai Prasad’s body. The organisation alleged that a President of the Saudi Arabia Telugu Association (SATA) Srinivas Macha had contacted the family and claimed that it was seeking payment for the arrangements.

GWAC said it had been assisting distressed workers in Gulf countries for the past 10 years and claimed to have facilitated the repatriation of around 500 bodies from Saudi Arabia during this period.

The organisation said its members had contributed their personal resources and time to help bereaved families. It also welcomed others willing to assist Gulf workers but objected to what it described as unverified allegations against organisations involved in humanitarian work.

Family seeks Rs 5 lakh ex gratia

Sai Prasad’s family has appealed to the Telangana government for Rs 5 lakh in ex gratia assistance.

His brother, Vijay Kumar, also urged the state government to introduce a comprehensive policy for Gulf workers, with provisions for healthcare, insurance and rehabilitation.

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