A FILIPINA nurse from Davao City died, while another is now slowly recovering after they were hit by a speeding car in front of a school at the Diwan Roundabout in Al Ain-Abu Dhabi Road, United Arab Emirates (UAE) on November 12.
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) Davao Director Eduardo Bellido identified the fatality as Estee Banaag Nanolan, who hails from SIR New Matina, while the injured one was identified as Melissa Salvani Roble from Cabantian, Buhangin, both from Davao City.
Bellido said a Home Care nurse named Jacqueline Salem reported to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (Polo) that her fellow nurses were rushed to Tawan Hospital after being hit by a BMW car in Al Ain-Abu Dhabi Road around 7 p.m.
Nanolan reportedly died around 11:45 a.m. of November 23, Wednesday, after she suffered from irreversible brain damage. She was comatose when the officials and members of the Philippine Embassy visited her after the accident.
According to Dr. Mamoun Elzubair of the Tawan Hospital, although Nanolan’s internal organs were functioning well, she was kept alive by a mechanical ventilator because her brain was barely functioning.
Roble, meanwhile, had a knee surgery and an operation on her fractured hip bone at the Acetabulum Section of the hospital.
A Facebook post from Roble's sister Jenny Ann Roble Salvani posted on November 13 was asking family and friends for prayers and support.
As of Monday, November 28, Salvani said her sister can now slowly take a seat.
"She's now okay and can now slowly take a seat. The case is ongoing and we are waiting for the decision of the court," she said.
Bellido said Roble has requested the Philippine Embassy to facilitate the visit of her sister from Davao City to Al Ain City in UAE so that she can be daily assisted in the hospital, as she is still non-ambulatory due to the accident.
"Unfortunately, wala silang (the two victims) matatanggap na financial assistance from the office kasi undocumented and non-member sila ng Owwa. Lumabas sila ng bansa as tourist at doon na sila nag-hanap ng trabaho," Bellido said.
Bellido said they already talked to the families of the two nurses here. He added that the Owwa can only facilitate the repatriation of the victims to Davao City from Al Ain City in coordination with the Philippine Embassy and the Polo.
The Philippine Embassy with the Al AinFilcom visited the employer of the two nurses, the Al Eman Home Health Care Center, L.L.C. at Flat 103 Banq Masr building, to establish lines of communication and coordination over the incident.
Bellido said the two agencies were able to meet the center’s administration and nursing manager who both promised full cooperation with the embassy. He added that the Owwa is still waiting for the update on the repatriation process.
The embassy learned that the driver of the BMW car identified as Sager Saed Ahmed is a juvenile police in Al Ain City. It was also reported that Ahmed's younger brother, who is also a police officer, visited the victims only for a few days.
A police officer-in-charge in Al Ain City, who also visited the nurses at Tawan Hospital, advised the concerned agencies to report the incident at the Al Ain Traffick Bureau for record and documentation.
The Nclex Haad Review Specialist where Banaag took her nursing review posted a message of condolence to the deceased.