Alejandro Montoya, a young Cuban who traveled to Dubai just a few weeks ago in hopes of starting a new life working in a restaurant, remains hospitalized after suffering a massive pulmonary embolism that left him on the brink of death.
While he is recovering, his family is facing a medical bill of 47,000 dirhams —about 12,800 dollars— that they cannot afford to pay.
The case was reported by El Correo del Golfo in an article published on July 18th.
Montoya started working on June 22, but just a few days later, he began to experience intense fatigue, difficulty breathing, and strong palpitations. During an initial medical consultation, he was diagnosed with severe anemia and vitamin B12 deficiency, although his condition continued to worsen.
The situation reached a breaking point when he collapsed at his workplace and had to be rushed to the hospital by ambulance.
The doctors then discovered that he was suffering from a critical condition caused by clots that had simultaneously blocked both the lungs and the heart. The young man was admitted to the Coronary Care Unit, where he remained intubated and connected to life support.
After several days of treatment, he managed to overcome the most critical phase and was transferred to a hospital room, although he remains under specialized medical care.
The emergency revealed another issue: Montoya had not yet completed the paperwork to obtain his work visa and was still in the United Arab Emirates on a tourist visa.
This condition prevented him from accessing the public hospital system or benefiting from subsidized rates. According to the report, his family attempted to arrange the transfer from the beginning of the emergency, but the requests were denied due to his immigration status.
In the United Arab Emirates, health insurance is mandatory for foreign workers and must be provided by the employer once the residency process is completed. Until then, those who remain on a tourist visa are without health coverage and must bear the full cost of any medical care.
Montoya's situation reflects a reality that many Cubans face when they arrive in Dubai, expecting to regularize their work status just a few weeks after arriving in the country.
The tourist visa, which typically costs between 1,500 and 2,200 dollars, allows for legal entry into the Emirates, but working on this visa constitutes a violation that can result in fines of up to 50,000 dirhams, deportation, and a permanent ban on obtaining a work permit, according to migration specialists.
The young man's family, which also includes Cubans living in Dubai, has called for solidarity and understanding from the Spanish-speaking community as they try to cope with the emergency.
The bill from the private hospital continues to rise, and the family is unaware of when they will be able to receive the medical discharge.
Although a formal fundraising campaign has not been launched, those who wish to offer assistance can contact Alejandro Montoya's mother at the phone number +971 56 927 5732.
According to El Toque, the Cuban community in Dubai continues to grow, drawn by job opportunities, but many migrants face challenges stemming from a lack of documentation or medical coverage during the regularization process. Although the Cuban consulate reports over 500 residents in the United Arab Emirates, various sources believe that the actual number is significantly higher.
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