Things were looking up for Abdul Ghafur Mohd Ibrahim, the Singapore permanent resident who got infected by a flesh-eating bacteria during his minor Umrah pilgrimage in Mecca last month.
After remaining in intensive care in a Jordanian hospital for weeks, the 59-year-old was due to fly back home today. Unfortunately, the man passed away a day before his flight, reports The Straits Times. Speaking to the paper, his son-in-law confirmed that Abdul Ghafur sustained a cardiac arrest that led to his death.
“We were all looking forward to his return. But God has other plans for my father-in-law. We have decided to bury him in Amman,” he said.
While performing his pilgrimage in Mecca last month, his foot got infected by a flesh-eating bacteria after he fell down — it was an infection severe enough for doctors to amputate his left leg. Faced with a medical bill of nearly $150,000 in Jordan (with insurance coverage way below that amount), the family turned to social media for help.
Around $38,000 was successfully gathered, generously donated by members of the public and relatives who learned of Abdul Ghafur’s plight.
His tragic circumstance and untimely death has prompted an insurance company to rethink its coverage. ST&T international — the only company authorised to sell insurance to pilgrims going to Saudi Arabia — plans to revise insurance coverage for all pilgrims going on umrah. Though pilgrims will be expected to pay higher premiums, they can at least have peace of mind with an increase in medical coverage and unlimited repatriation coverage.
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