For those who decide to work overseas, most of the time, it’s not only until you’re there that you realize how high the stakes are.
This is especially true for those living (and working) alone in a country like Hong Kong. And while it’s good to know that there are organizations such as the church and other NGOs who are willing and open to lend a helping hand to those who may need support in coping with life overseas. However, the tricky part is when the inevitable happens, such as an illness or accident.
Filipino Man Passes Out While at Work, Dies in Hong Kong
This has been the case of a 57-year old Filipino man who died after passing out in Happy Valley on Hong Kong island last Tuesday (April 30), as shared in a report by the Asia Times.
According to the report, at around 8:45 in the morning, a security guard called the police to report that a man had been found unconscious in an open area opposite Amber Lodge on 40 Mount Butler Road in Happy Valley.
The police and paramedics immediately responded and rushed the man to the hospital, but he was later pronounced dead by medical staff and doctors. The Filipino man had been identified as a driver employed by a family living in Amber Lodge. He was cleaning a car and suddenly fell down before passing out.
After conducting initial investigations, the police ruled out foul play in the cause of death, but suspected that the man had an unknown illness. At present, experts are still conducting an autopsy to determine the man’s real cause of death.
In this case, while there has been no form of abuse or foul play reported, the police suspect that the man had a pre-existing medical condition. As earlier proposed by a Philippine official in Hong Kong, OFWs need to undergo regular medical check-ups in order to avoid these kinds of situations.
In actuality, Hong Kong offers great medical coverage especially for domestic workers, whom we know, most of the time, work to the bone even late in the night.
They say knowing is already half the battle, and while this may practically hurt the pockets of workers initially, the benefits far outweigh the cost of a healthy lifestyle practice, which includes regularly seeing a doctor for a health check.
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