Indian man’s huge hospital bill could have been avoided

Readers praise collection of Abu Dhabi street views. Other topics: safer roads, Israeli land grab, Indian patient and Attenborough's legacy.

Photographer's skills reveal new perspectives of life in Abu Dhabi, a reader says. Photo: Brian Kerrigan / The National

With regard to your news story, Abu Dhabi hospital bill mounts for uninsured Indian man (September 1), this case is not an isolated one in UAE or in the region.

It is unfortunate that he had no insurance coverage but even for those who have such policies, many insurance companies do not provide full cover.

Since hospitals in the UAE are encountering many similar cases, a system should be in place to support patients like this one.

There are many philanthropic and charitable organisations in this country. What is needed is a reliable mechanism to determine which cases deserve assistance.

Being a social worker, I would offer my services for such activities for free, if any such initiative results because of this report in The National. This kind of situation requires a permanent solution.

K V Shamsudheen, Dubai

I believe this man’s medical coverage should have been continued by his previous employer for some time even after he finishes work.

As I understand it, the company pays for one year of cover in advance so there was no need to cancel this former employee’s medical insurance.

Farhana Hassan, Abu Dhabi

Of course, it was possible for him to buy individual private health insurance.

Lots of people do this just to cover themselves in situations just like this one.

Emma Brain, Dubai

A fresh new look at life in Abu Dhabi

Your collection of photographs (Arabian Nights by Brian Kerrigan, August 31) are all super, but the one of the man reflected in the glass walls of a building on Al Maryah Island is my favourite of all.

Vidhyaa Kris, Abu Dhabi

These photographs raise the question of the legal aspects of street photography in the UAE?

Like many photographers in this country, I always worry about getting into trouble.

Isabella Brookes, Dubai

This is a simply great collection of photographs.

Brigitte von Bulow, Abu Dhabi

Israel goes back to business as usual

Your article, Outrage at Israel's latest land grab (September 1), shows that the Israelis have gone back to their routine of grabbing Palestinian land in the West Bank to build settlements.

This time it is the size of 400 hectares and the only thing I am surprised about is that they even bothered to state a reason.

I thought the deaths of more than 2,000 people in Gaza – many of them children – and tens of thousands more rendered homeless was already in retaliation for the three murdered Jewish teenagers?

I still cannot figure out why Gaza had to pay for something that happened in the West Bank, considering how isolated the two geographic entities are from one another.

Now, they are saying the land grab is retaliation for the same. What else will they justify with the killing of these three boys?

Do not be fooled: Israeli prime minister Netanyahu had to steal this land for settlements to appease the right-wingers in his fragile coalition. They would have preferred to keep slaughtering Palestinian men, women and children in Gaza.

The Israelis should listen to Desmond Tutu who appealed to them in the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, to free themselves of this horrible burden by freeing the Palestinians.

No individual human being, let alone a whole people, can subsist on hatred.

Rita Amer, Dubai

Safer roads require better monitoring

In reference to your story, Heavy traffic but no major road issues as UAE goes back to school (September 1), it is indeed fortunate that no untoward incidents occurred on the first day of the school after summer break.

However, yesterday I witnessed examples of reckless driving.

One involved a bus carrying labourers on Sheikh Zayed Street along Abu Dhabi’s eastern corniche. It recklessly cut across lanes and sped off. It had no signs on it to indicate which company was providing the service.

This shows the importance of the police monitoring the roads from their control room so that when this kind of dangerous driving is detected, a patrol car can intervene before an accident follows.

I also believe this class of vehicles should be restricted to the slow lanes.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

Spreading Gandhi’s message of peace

With regard to your report, Richard Attenborough: "I want to be remembered as a storyteller" (August 25), we mourn the passing of a director who performed a fantastic service in creating the movie Gandhi.

Millions of people who might never have heard about Mahatma Gandhi now know and remember the great apostle of non-violence due to Sir Richard’s efforts.

Rajendra K. Aneja, Dubai