108 sick OFWs in Kuwait get medical assistance —embassy

More than 100 Filipinos with illnesses in Kuwait had been assisted by the Philippine Embassy through its Medical Response Team (MRT), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday.

Aside from attending to 108 sick Filipinos, the MRT also helped in facilitating the medical repatriation of 27 other Filipinos.

“The Embassy’s Medical Response Team is here to provide any assistance needed by Filipinos in Kuwait, such as medical referrals to hospitals and clinics, regular hospital visits, as well as the facilitation of Filipino patients’ hospital expenses, and their repatriation to the Philippines, if deemed necessary,” Chargé d’Affaires Mohd Noordin Pendosina Lomondot said in a statement.

“The Embassy’s MRT also serves as the bridge between Filipino patients and their families in the Philippines, who wish to ascertain the condition of their loved ones in Kuwait," he added.

The MRT also regularly trains to continue safeguarding the welfare and well-being of OFWs in Kuwait, the DFA said.

“As we enter a new year, the Embassy assures the more than 230,000 overseas Filipinos in Kuwait that it will continue to do its best to address the various concerns of our kababayan, including their medical needs,” Lomondot said.

The Philippines has banned the deployment of Filipino workers to Kuwait following the killing of Jeanelyn Villavende, a household helper, allegedly by her employers.

Autopsy conducted in the Philippines showed Villavende died of "multiple, severe, traumatic" injuries. —Joahna Lei Casilao/KBK, GMA News