Mr Balakrishnan's son Bijosh, who lives in Papatoetoe, told SBS Hindi on the phone, "His condition worsened on Friday evening and doctors could not do much. He breathed his last late in the evening."
Mr Balakrshinan and his wife had been visiting New Zealand to meet their granddaughter for the first time. They were supposed to leave for India next month, but Mr Balakrishnan suffered a hemorrhagic stroke on 16th May.
“We were visiting a friend. While returning, I asked my father to fasten the seat belt, but he did not respond. He was not even listening. I ran to the hospital. The doctors examined him and said, it is a kind of stroke due to high blood pressure,” Bijosh Balakrishnan explained.
Mr. K Balakrishnan Source: Supplied
He was admitted to Middlemore Hospital in Auckland and had been recovering until Thursday. The Malayali community of New Zealand ran a campaign to raise funds for his hospital costs as he did not have any health insurance.
“The doctors have given me an estimate of NZD $14,000. It might increase as the doctors are still not sure, how long my father needs to be in the hospital,” Bijosh said.
Bijosh arrived in New Zealand in 2015 on a work visa. He is in the healthcare industry and still working hard to settle his life down in a new country. The cost of his father’s treatment has left him in a fix.
“Unfortunately, we did not buy any health or travel insurance in New Zealand. Healthcare treatments are costly in New Zealand especially if you don’t have any healthcare insurance. My father is not eligible for any health benefits due to his visa status,” Bijosh had told SBS Hindi.
Over NZD $32,000 have been raised for the family. Malayali Samajam is working with the High Commission of India to repatriate the body back to India.
