A 19-year-old international student from India, currently recovering from an aggressive tuberculosis is desperately looking for accommodation since his family has been requested to vacate the courtesy home they're currently staying in, by mid-September .
Eknoor Singh’s health began to deteriorate before he was hospitalized on 4th April this year. He was diagnosed with MDR (Multi-drug resistant) TB and remained in the hospital for nearly four months. His medical condition worsened to the extent that he had to spend many days in the ICU.
While Mr Singh was fighting for his life in the Monash Medical Centre in Melbourne, he says the young couple with whom he shared a rental house told him they didn’t want to live with him.
“They packed my stuff and left it at a relative’s place because they feared I was suffering from a contagious disease,” Mr Singh tells SBS Punjabi.
However, the couple he stayed with has a different story to tell and has also spoken to SBS Punjabi.
Hardeep and Harmandeep Ghumman shared their house in Clyde (in Melbourne's south-east) with Eknoor Singh. Speaking to SBS Punjabi on Wednesday August 29, Harmandeep said, "We knew Eknoor's family from India, so he came to live in our house as our guest in July 2017, from the first day he landed in Melbourne."
"We didn't charge him any rent for almost six months and looked after him like a family member. In December he began to pay us some money to share living expenses."
"When Eknoor became unwell, I insisted on taking him to the doctor, who asked us to take him to Dandenong Hospital since he suspected pneumonia."
"We visited him everyday in hospital and supported him as best as we could. It was only after a few days that the tuberculosis was diagnosed."
"We began receiving calls from the Health Department to be tested for tuberculosis ourselves. My husband was also very unwell and we became very concerned."
"It's in June this year that we moved to a new house. Eknoor was still in hospital, and we asked them what to do with his luggage. At his family's request, we moved all of his luggage to his cousin's house."
Harmandeep added, "Whilst I agree that the family needs help, I feel hurt that our contribution has been maligned."
However, no one contradicts the fact that Mr Singh was alone in Monash Medical Centre (where he was transferred from Dandenong Hospital) for almost a month before his sister appealed for help from the local Sikh temples via email.
Eknoor Singh with his mother Kulwinder Kaur. Source: Supplied
“He was all alone, physically as well as emotionally and he was very sick. And then some families came forward to help him, with food and clothes and anything that he needed. They took care of him until we [Mrs Kaur and her husband] arrived,” Mr Singh’s mother Kulwinder Kaur told SBS Punjabi.
Mrs Kaur and her husband came to Melbourne two months ago to take care of their ailing son who is now recuperating. A local family offered their unit to them for three months which they will vacate in the next few days and are now looking for an alternate accommodation.
“We ourselves are financially constrained and are very thankful to the family for helping us in our hour of need. They need the unit back for some reason and we are hoping we can get another accommodation- even a single room so that I can spend some more time with my son to take care of him until his health is normal again,” Mrs Kaur said.
“I am hoping someone comes forward again to help us.”
Due to his illness, Eknoor Singh hasn’t been able to work or study for the past several months and the last semester of his Automotive Diploma had to be deferred.
Eknoor Singh with his parents and friends. Source: Supplied
His parents are also thankful to the Monash Medical Centre that has decided to waive off his medical expenses after his private insurance refused to cover his treatment.
“There was a daily expense of $1800 for the room alone and the private insurance covered next to nothing. But the doctors told us not to worry and the whole thing has been taken care of now,” said Mrs Kaur.
"We actually sold our house in Mumbai to gather funds for Eknoor's studies in Australia. He told the hospital that we as a family won't be able to pay for the treatment privately."
Mrs Kaur believes the Victorian government has covered many of the expenses and thanks them, as well as the medical staff of Monash Medical centre, and all the generous families who have helped them over the past few months.
A community organisation Sikh Helpline Australia has issued an appeal for financial assistance for Mr Singh.
