The patient, Abu Salem, a 59-year-old Somali man, suffers from Hepatitis C, high blood pressure, and diabetes. He requires medications and medical follow-up totaling 35,000 AED. His health insurance card does not cover the costs of his Hepatitis C medications, and he appeals to kind-hearted people to help him raise the required amount.

Abu Salem told “Emarat Al Youm” that he came to the UAE in 2000 and was able to provide for his family of five children and a housewife wife. In early 2024, he began feeling constant fatigue, weakness, mild abdominal pain, loss of appetite, severe itching, and leg swelling. He visited a nearby private clinic where tests were done, and the doctor advised him to go to a government hospital for more accurate results. At Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City Hospital in Abu Dhabi, all tests were repeated along with MRI and CT scans, confirming his diagnosis of Hepatitis C, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

He stayed in the hospital for several days to receive treatment. After his condition stabilized, the doctor advised regular medical follow-up, periodic tests to evaluate liver function, taking prescribed medications, and following a healthy diet rich in minerals and vitamins while reducing fats, salt, and sugars.

In previous years, he was able to obtain medications through donations from charitable people and organizations, but his health began to deteriorate after he stopped taking the medications due to inability to afford them. His insurance card does not cover Hepatitis C medications due to limited coverage.

Hepatitis C is a liver infection causing inflammation, pain, redness, and swelling. It is caused by a virus transmitted through the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person. It can lead to liver scarring, failure, cancer, and death if untreated.