by P A Hameed - Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network - Saudi Arabia

Riyadh, Dec 23: Keshav Shettigar, aged about 49, died after suffering a couple of weeks’ illness at National Hospital, Malaz region here. Keshav, who originally hails from Padubettu-Kuntalpady village in Karkala taluk had been working since 25 years in Jarbou Furniture at Sulahi.

Keshav was first admitted to the hospital about two weeks back due to a sudden paralytic stroke that resulted in the loss of voluntary movement of his right leg. It has been informed that he was slowly responding to the treatment, but was advised to undergo further treatment in India. Consequently, all arrangements were done to take him to his home town. Meanwhile, he went into coma after suffering cardiopulmonary arrest (relating to both the heart and the lungs) along with renal failure and cerebral infarctions and was not properly responding to the treatment. As a result, he breathed his last at around 3.30 am last Friday. 

Abdul Aziz Karkala, member of Indian Fraternity Forum (IFF)-Riyadh Unit, who admitted him in the hospital and was with him from the day one Kehav was admitted, informed to Daijiworld. “We tried our level best to save his life making arrangements that included air ticket to Mangalore via Bangalore on December 12 as the doctor advised us to take him for further medical care.

The dead body has now been kept at Sumaishi Government Hospital in Riyadh, awaiting all the legal and administrative procedures including airlifting of the body to his hometown. The relevant legal authority documents including the duly attested consent letter from his wife, Chitra K Shettigar has already been received in order to make the appropriate actions mandatory in the Kingdom. Daijiworld correspondent has been that the order from the court in Dirah-Riyadh has already been obtained. Besides, the Indian Embassy has already given the letter with No-Due-Certificate Form to be signed to the deceased’s employer to clear and settle all his dues including ESB (End of Service Benefits) and other benefits. It is a provision of the Saudi Labour Law that all the costs and expenses relating to healthcare and airlifting of the remains of employee should be borne by his employer. 

The hospital charge was around SR 40,000-00 (Saudi Riyals). The deceased’s employer is said to have paid the amount in the hospital. Keshav is survived by his wife and two sons, aged about 12 and 16. He was very quiet, friendly and hardworking man.

Indian Fraternity Forum (IFF)-Riyadh unit has been working hard to obtain all the relevant documents from different departments in Riyadh. Vijay Rai, Rajesh Kumar and Vasudev Amin from Karavali Welfare Association-Riyadh (KWAR) also visited the hospital to extend their help when the deceased was in coma.