Happy and healthy at 25, Arshdeep Singh rarely felt unwell. But a few days ago, the Melbourne-based marketing student started to experience cough and shortness of breath.
He visited the doctor and returned home with him some cough syrup and an inhaler.
Highlights:
- Indian international student battles end-stage renal disease in Australia
- Arshdeep Singh’s family has sought urgent assistance from Australia for his medical evacuation
- The 25-year-old is keen to recover in India and return to his life in Australia
‘Beyond shocking’
Soon, his health started to deteriorate, and the final blow came when parts of his body began to swell.
On 8 June, he was referred to the emergency unit of a hospital where the doctors conducted a suite of tests and confirmed Mr Singh’s worst nightmare.
“They told me that I was at the end stage of a renal disease, which means that both my kidneys had stopped functioning. I couldn’t believe it because neither do I have any family history of kidney issues, nor have I encountered any health problems in my life. It was beyond shocking,” Mr Singh told SBS Punjabi.
End-stage kidney disease
Arshdeep SIngh before and after the diagnosis. Source: Supplied by Arshdeep Singh
End-stage kidney disease, also called end-stage renal disease (ESRD), is the final stage of a chronic kidney disease, in which the kidneys no longer function well enough to sustain the body.
In Mr Singh’s case, he was diagnosed with ESRD of ‘unclear cause,’ which means the tests couldn’t determine the underlying issues that may have resulted in this condition.
While he was discharged from hospital on 19 June, he is required to undergo dialysis every second day, an ordeal that he goes through alone in the absence of family support in Australia.
At first, Mr Singh thought it would be best to get his mother to travel to Australia, so that she could support him emotionally and physically until he became fit for a kidney transplant, if required.
A snapshot of ARshdeep Singh's discharge summary. Source: Supplied by Kunwar Singh Anand
His family in New Delhi immediately swung into action.
His mother, Inderjeet Kaur, filed a petition in the Delhi High Court seeking the Indian government’s assistance and the Australian government’s cooperation to facilitate her visitor visa and inward travel exemption.
“We filed the petition on 16 June, and soon after the intervention of India’s Ministry of External Affairs and the Australian High Commission, Inderjeet Kaur was granted a visa and an inward travel exemption,” the family’s lawyer Gurinder Singh told SBS Punjabi.
As soon as the family crossed this hurdle, the doctors in Melbourne informed Mr Singh that he might not be eligible for a kidney transplant because he is not covered by Medicare.
“I am currently on Bridging Visa A as I am waiting for my post-study work visa. The doctors told me that I couldn’t get a transplant if required because of my current visa status,” he added.
Family seeks urgent medical repatriation
Mr Singh’s brother-in-law, Kunwar Singh Anand, who is liaising with his doctors in Melbourne on behalf of the family, said that after consulting with doctors in India, it was decided that it would be best to bring him home for treatment.
Mr Anand said the family has sought the Indian Consulate’s help in Melbourne to facilitate his urgent medical repatriation to India.
“We have already spoken to Emirates, which has a flight via Dubai on 30 June. The airline requires a ‘Fit to Travel’ certificate signed by his doctors indicating that he can undertake long-distance travel in his condition, something that the hospital has said would only be possible in another two weeks.
“They need to understand it’s imperative he travels and reunites with his family, so that he can get the support he needs. We also want to ensure he gets a transplant in time, if that’s the only way out of his illness,” Mr Anand added.
Responding to SBS Punjabi’s query, Raj Kumar, the Consul General of India in Melbourne, said he has requested the hospital to expedite the procedure of Mr Singh’s medical evacuation to India at the earliest.
A transplant surgeon holds a kidney from the body of a live donor. Source: AAP
“We have requested the doctors to expedite his treatment so he can get his Fit to Travel certificate at the earliest. I am in constant touch with the hospital and his family in India to ensure they have the required support they need during these critical times,” he said.
‘Australia is the country of my dreams’
Arshdeep Singh at his graduation ceremony. Source: Supplied by Arshdeep Singh
Meanwhile, Mr Singh, who had dreamt of building a life here in Australia, still hasn’t lost faith.
“I love Australia. I just want to plead to the Australian government and my doctors to facilitate my return to my home country so I can get adequate treatment, fully recover and return to the country of my dreams,” he said.
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