Indian in NZ survives rare ‘flesh-eating’ infection, urges health insurance
A young Indian professional in New Zealand is battling a rare and life-threatening infection, as hospital bills pile up in his inbox.
Ayush Rawat, 30, an aspiring chef from Dehradun, India, was admitted to Timaru hospital and then airlifted to a Christchurch hospital in early February after being diagnosed with Polymicrobial Necrotising Fasciitis, a severe “flesh-eating” infection.
The cost of treatment and aftercare, however, is more than Ayush or his family can afford.
“$231,000 plus $50,000 from his earlier hospital treatment is the current bill,” his father, Bhagat Singh, told The Indian Weekender from India.
Singh clarified that his son had health insurance while on his student visa, but the gap between its expiry and the processing of his work visa left him uninsured at the time he became critically unwell.
“This was the period when he did not have health insurance. Before this, he was fully insured while on a student visa,” Singh said.
“You might understand Indian culture very well, a government employee [such as] myself, has very limited sources of income,” Singh, who is a bank employee in India, added.
“The hospital bill is beyond our capacity or capability,” he added.
Rawat arrived in New Zealand in 2023 on a student visa to study Hotel Management at NZMA in Auckland. He had hoped to begin working soon, but now faces a long recovery.
Rawat’s weight dropped from 75–80 kilograms to just 30 kilograms during the ordeal. Though now out of immediate danger, he continues to undergo medical tests and faces an extended recovery period.
“The doctors said I did very well,” Rawat said in a frail voice over the phone.
He fell unconscious at his home in Geraldine in the South Island on 30 January and was taken by fellow Indians to Timaru Hospital, where he was initially treated for diabetes.
“Though early on, this condition was caught mistakenly when the doctors saw a cyst on my lower back.”
The cyst, he said, was infected and had enlarged. Rawat described the condition as rare but fatal.
The source of the infection remains unknown to Rawat.
“When the doctors checked my cyst, they said they would perform a small operation on it. As they were carrying out the procedure, they realised how quickly the infection was spreading to my body,” he said.
Between 1 February and 7 February, Rawat was airlifted from Timaru Hospital to Christchurch for a more specialised treatment, where he was treated in intensive care and placed on a ventilator.
“Doctors were less than 5% confident that I would survive,” Rawat told The Indian Weekender.
Now out of danger, Rawat remains on strong antibiotic medication. He has also been fitted with a stoma, a surgically created opening in the abdomen, with a waterproof, odour-proof pouch attached to collect bodily waste, which he is expected to use for several months.
He has two messages for fellow migrants.
“Please spend some money and take health insurance even when you are waiting for a work visa.”
And when it comes to health concerns, he added, “always get checked. Don't wait.”
"I don't know how much funds I can raise, but i really hope it gets to $40,000 at least," Rawat added.
A young Indian professional in New Zealand is battling a rare and life-threatening infection, as hospital bills pile up in his inbox.
Ayush Rawat, 30, an aspiring chef from Dehradun, India,...
A young Indian professional in New Zealand is battling a rare and life-threatening infection, as hospital bills pile up in his inbox.
Ayush Rawat, 30, an aspiring chef from Dehradun, India, was admitted to Timaru hospital and then airlifted to a Christchurch hospital in early February after being diagnosed with Polymicrobial Necrotising Fasciitis, a severe “flesh-eating” infection.
The cost of treatment and aftercare, however, is more than Ayush or his family can afford.
“$231,000 plus $50,000 from his earlier hospital treatment is the current bill,” his father, Bhagat Singh, told The Indian Weekender from India.
Singh clarified that his son had health insurance while on his student visa, but the gap between its expiry and the processing of his work visa left him uninsured at the time he became critically unwell.
“This was the period when he did not have health insurance. Before this, he was fully insured while on a student visa,” Singh said.
“You might understand Indian culture very well, a government employee [such as] myself, has very limited sources of income,” Singh, who is a bank employee in India, added.
“The hospital bill is beyond our capacity or capability,” he added.
Rawat arrived in New Zealand in 2023 on a student visa to study Hotel Management at NZMA in Auckland. He had hoped to begin working soon, but now faces a long recovery.
Rawat’s weight dropped from 75–80 kilograms to just 30 kilograms during the ordeal. Though now out of immediate danger, he continues to undergo medical tests and faces an extended recovery period.
“The doctors said I did very well,” Rawat said in a frail voice over the phone.
He fell unconscious at his home in Geraldine in the South Island on 30 January and was taken by fellow Indians to Timaru Hospital, where he was initially treated for diabetes.
“Though early on, this condition was caught mistakenly when the doctors saw a cyst on my lower back.”
The cyst, he said, was infected and had enlarged. Rawat described the condition as rare but fatal.
The source of the infection remains unknown to Rawat.
“When the doctors checked my cyst, they said they would perform a small operation on it. As they were carrying out the procedure, they realised how quickly the infection was spreading to my body,” he said.
Between 1 February and 7 February, Rawat was airlifted from Timaru Hospital to Christchurch for a more specialised treatment, where he was treated in intensive care and placed on a ventilator.
“Doctors were less than 5% confident that I would survive,” Rawat told The Indian Weekender.
Now out of danger, Rawat remains on strong antibiotic medication. He has also been fitted with a stoma, a surgically created opening in the abdomen, with a waterproof, odour-proof pouch attached to collect bodily waste, which he is expected to use for several months.
He has two messages for fellow migrants.
“Please spend some money and take health insurance even when you are waiting for a work visa.”
And when it comes to health concerns, he added, “always get checked. Don't wait.”
"I don't know how much funds I can raise, but i really hope it gets to $40,000 at least," Rawat added.
Related Posts
ISSUE
Leave a Comment