Mum accused of defrauding insurance firm to fund daughter's cancer treatment

Woman alleged to have used documentation belonging to friend's daughter to access care services

A mum used a health insurance card belonging to the child of a friend to fund nearly Dh200,000 of medical treatment for her cancer-stricken daughter, a court heard.

The Nepalese woman, 28, used the Emirates ID and health insurance card at a hospital in Dubai after her daughter fell ill.

The documentation belonged to the daughter of an Indian woman, 33, who said she was unaware of the insurance fraud.

The defendant was charged with the fraudulent use of official documents and deceiving an insurance company between April and June of 2018.

Her friend was charged with abetting the house wife's crimes, but denies playing any part in the offence.

Police were alerted when the insurance company became aware of the alleged fraud.

Court records stated that the Nepalese defendant admitted the fraud during police questioning.

An administrative officer at the hospital said the woman had turned up on April 29 of last year to seek treatment for her daughter, who was suffering from a high temperature.

During the visit she handed over the Emirates ID and health card of the friend's daughter when asked to provide identification.

The girl was then immediately admitted to the hospital’s emergency section and, following tests, it was found that she was suffering from leukemia.

She required chemotherapy until July.

The hospital worker said on one occasion, the patient's mother had said she had forgotten to bring her daughter's documentation when quizzed about her failure to produce it.

“The insurance company later contacted us about the identity fraud. We notified the health authority, who  summoned the housewife and her friend for questioning,” said the administrative officer.

During questioning by the health authority’s legal affairs section, the Indian friend said that on April 29 the housewife requested to use her daughter’s ID and insurance card since she and her daughter did not have health insurance, having arrived in the UAE on tourist visas.

The friend admitted that she gave the accused her daughter’s ID and card.

But she said she was not aware the housewife made copies of both and used them at the hospital for treatments.

“When the fees clocked Dh188,000 the insurance company contacted me about it, and I was astonished that she (the accused) made use of my daughter’s health insurance to access treatment for her own daughter,” she said.

Both defendants denied all charges at court.

The next hearing will be on January 16.