It has been over five months now and Chhai Bahadur is on the road to recovery.
IFS has supported him by providing medication, necessary diet and paying full
salary during the period, writes Shalinee Bhardwaj
He could not understand what the doctor said to his caretakers and, when he did, the gravity of the words hit him hard.
The verdict that he had been waiting for had finally arrived, shattering him with its undisputed tenacity. He had suspected some illness but nothing as serious as being life threatening.
After a series of examinations and medical tests, Chhai Bahadur Kami was diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, much against his failing hopes. He expected the least from life and thought he was doomed when he was given a second chance to live, thanks to all the support he received at every step of his recovery.
Thirty-four-year-old Chhai Bahadur had set the foot outside his homeland for the first time in search of better prospects and earnings. Living in the remote mountainous district of Rukum in Nepal that takes three days to reach his village from the capital city of Kathmandu, he dreamt of giving a good life to his small family of two kids and a wife.
His wish came true when he was recruited by the Integral Food Services WLL (IFS) as a Technical Helper/Labour in their GVG Manpower Supplier Division. He landed in Qatar in August 2012 where he could see his dreams, not far from becoming a reality.
With an increased regular income, he was now able to channelise more money to his family. The condition back home began to improve slowly. He counted his lucky stars but, what he didn’t realise was that fate can sometimes turn the tables like a bolt from the blue.
It was not even seven months on duty when his chronic abdominal pain began to surface again. “I sometimes used to get severe pain in my stomach in Nepal also. I had consulted the doctors there but, it was dismissed as ‘gonu’ (normal gastric problem or flatulence) and was treated for the same. It used to subside but I was never completely relieved from it,” recollects Chhai Bahadur.
The frequency of painful occurrences was on the rise, so much so that it started to affect his work. He was forced to take breaks during his working hours due to unbearable pain. He could feel a growing lump in his stomach that would move from one side to the other. Thereafter, his condition began to deteriorate incessantly. He was on the downslide, visibly losing weight and strength. His legs were too weak to walk. He had to hold the wall in order to tread a short distance. Finally, his health gave way.
He was rushed to the emergency and on April 30, 2013, he was diagnosed with DLBCL Stage IIIB by the doctors attending to him at Hamad Hospital. Diffuse Large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).
Lymphoma refers to cancer of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. DLBCL is a fast-growing, aggressive form of NHL where the tumour can arise in any part of the body, for Chhai Bahadur it was in his abdomen.
DLBCL is fatal if left untreated, but with timely and appropriate treatment, approximately 60 percent of all patients can be cured.
“After some tests, I was referred to Rumeilah Hospital Cancer Division. The diagnosis had devastated me and I was completely broke,” remembers Chhai Bahadur. It was a tough decision for the management of IFS Group, who now had two options to choose from, either to send him back to Nepal and stay clear of any responsibilities, or to let him stay and undergo medical treatment.
The first option, as the management could see would have spelt death for Chhai Bahadur as he was in no position to afford such expensive treatment. The second option meant undertaking complete responsibility of his well-being along with all the expenses related to his treatment.
With a nod from the company’s top officials, Rinchen Bhutia, IFS HR and Employees Welfare Manager, took it as her personal drive to help Chhai Bahadur in this time of distress. Chhai Bahadur was again moved to Hamad Hospital for treatment that included sessions of chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy.
“The doctors and staff at HMC were more than willing to help in this case. HMC provides subsidised medical treatment for the poor and the needy. They also recommended some charitable organisations that could lend support,” recalls Rinchen.
Since then it has been a roller coaster ride for her. “Many a times he would bleed continuously and even become unconscious. He was balding and had become very thin. At such instances, I thought he will not make it. Even my mother used to pray for him back home,” Rinchen said.
“With this one case, I could see the best coming out from each of our staff members. Their support had been relentless. We took the decision of bringing him in the staff accommodation, once he stabilised, as it would be easier for us to take care of him and also cut down on the room cost. It was heartening to see everyone pitching in. They would come and give him juices and took care of his specific food requirements. Many a times our driver has rushed him to the hospital at night without the wink of an eye.”
As Chhai Bahadur can’t read, Rinchen visited him regularly and put down the medicines serially so that he would take the right medicine.
Dr Saffa, who is the attending doctor for Chhai Bahadur at HMC, comments, “The support of IFS staff has been commendable. This has contributed immensely in such a fast recovery of this patient.”
Chhai Bahadur has taken eight sessions of chemotherapy during which doctors had prescribed extreme sanitation and hygiene in his living space. He was granted a separate room in the company’s accommodation. The cleaning staff at the accommodation would regularly clean his room, change his beddings and his clothes. “We could not take any chances with an infection creeping in at that stage,” says Rinchen.
It has been over five months now and he is on the road to recovery. IFS has supported him by providing medication, necessary diet (food and mineral water) and paying full salary during the period.
A personal visit to the IFS accommodation at Las Palmas, Airport Road where Chhai Bahadur lives, was above expectations, too. Neat rooms each provided with attached toilets, clean surroundings, no overcrowding and apt facilities and a joyful staff suggested a positive outlook.
It’s not coincidental then that the company, which started off with a staff of 42 currently employs over 2,200 people. IFS is known in Qatar for its popular concept food brands some of which are — The Village, Royal Tandoor, Tandoor Express, Real Gelato, Kheema paratha and Karak, Bombay Chowpatty, Southern Fried Chicken.
Chhai Bahadur is showing remarkable signs of recovery. His hair is growing back, he can walk now although still with little limp, he is also gaining some weight. Doctors claim that he is 80% cured and should be completely cured once the ongoing remaining sessions of radiotherapy have finished.
“Had I been in my own country, I would have been dead by now. This is a miracle and perhaps, God’s will that I am in Qatar at this time. I have received a new lease of life and I consider myself lucky to have been under the employment of this company that had gone out of the way to support my case,” said a visibly indebted Chhai Bahadur.
Once his treatment finishes, he plans to go back home, work there and be with his family, for now he has understood the true meaning of life.
Qatar has an expatriate labour force of over 1.3 million with most of the workers coming from Asian countries. With its rapidly churning industries and economy, the country is seen as a dream boat in the region where people can hope to wish big.
In spite of this status, Qatar is in the spotlight with regards to migrant workers. The story of Chhai Bahadur may not find many repeats as of now, but it surely demonstrates a silver lining in the seemingly dark cloud.