EARLY this year, V. Prabakaran, 37, a former driver, was warded in a hospital after fainting in his house. His world fell apart when the doctors told him that three of his arteries leading to his heart were blocked and he urgently needed an operation. But Prabakaran could not afford the cost of the bypass surgery.

 

“Luckily, the Welfare Department helped to bear the operation cost,” said Prabakaran. “Since then, the doctors
have prohibited me from working because I have a battery implant and my heart is still weak,” he said at his house in Setapak.

He used to earn RM1,800 but now the family’s sole income-earner is his wife — who works at a Mydin store and gets a monthly salary of RM800. Recently, she was given diapers and other household items as donation from her employer.

“She has to work the whole day and does overtime whenever she can,” said Prabakaran. “I am helpless. I don’t know what else I can do.”

Though the family still gets some financial aid from the Welfare Department, it is still not enough to support the family’s monthly expenses.

Prabakaran has four children, aged from three to 14 years. One of them, Vaithishwari, 11, was born disabled and has her own medical expenses to be taken care of.

“My daughter is mentally-disabled and I have to spend about RM500 to RM600 monthly as we need to buy diapers, tubes and milk powder for her.”

Now, Prabhakaran also needs another RM25,000 for one more bypass surgery,  which he needs to undergo next month at Institute Jantung Negara.

“The Welfare Department has refused to help pay for the next operation as it had already helped me. Now, I don’t know where to look for money,” he added.

Apart from all this, Prabhakaran has not paid his house rent since early this year. His car has also been repossessed.

He also had no choice but to stop his youngest son P. Satish, 5, from going to kindergarten as he cannot afford to pay the fees.

He sought help from the MIC and got a donation of RM1,050 last month — which was used for household expenses.

“Sometimes, we don’t even have money to buy food to cook. Most days, we only end up eating once or twice,” said Prabakaran with tears flowing down his eyes.

“I really hope to work again, so that I can support my family and settle the debts.”