An Indian student needs your help. [Updated]

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An Indian student needs your help. [Updated]

By: Karthik :+: Under: Brown in America
On: ⋅ September 26, 2007 ⋅

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[Update]
After a few comments about his health, I decided to call Dileep, one of his friends from his undergrad days.

- Suresh is in a coma, still at the hospital.
- He is stable, but the doctors are not sure on how long it will take for him to recover.
- He is still at the hospital, but the doctors suggest that they transfer him to a Nursing facility. The cost is anywhere from $500-$1000 a day.

Their other option is to send him to India, but they have to arrange for an Air Ambulance, the costs quoted were anywhere between $100,000 - $150,000.

Hope this answers some of your questions.

[Original Post]

Suresh Penchala, an Indian student at The Eastern Illinois University is in critical condition and needs your help. The Journal Gazette has a news article.

The other student, Suresh Penchala, 24, also a graduate student and native of India, was taken to a Chattanooga, Tenn., hospital where he was in critical condition Wednesday, EIU spokeswoman Vicki Woodard said.

The two were on vacation visiting a relative of Penchala, Woodard said. Both were students at Eastern in the spring and were enrolled for classes this fall, Woodard said.

Suresh’s friend Nishanth Etla was declared dead at the scene.

His friends have set up a website to raise money. Suresh does not have medical insurance and Erlanger Hospital has discharged him citing lack of insurance, which in understandable. I wonder how he enrolled in classes without insurance, AFAIK, it is a law that all international students need to have medical insurance before they are allowed to take classes.

Either way, The Telegu Assocation of Metro Atlanta is involved in helping him and you can make contributions on the website or write him a check.

The address is

Checks are payable to TAMA
Address:
TAMA, Attn Suresh Penchala,
3192 Buck Way , Alpharetta, GA, 30004

Discussion

7 comments for “An Indian student needs your help. [Updated]”

1: Sin | September 26, 2007, 10:11 pm | Direct Link

As far as I remember, you had to take on some form of medical insurance to get into college! During my undergrad degrees, it was mandatory to get either the university health-care plan or prove you were covered.

I don’t know though–while I sort of intellectually understand that there will be a discharge because of a lack of insurance, I instinctively feel that it’s just wrong to not treat someone because they can’t pay. It’s not like he’s in for a nose-job or lipo; he actually NEEDS the medical treatment. What happened to the Hippocratic Oath?

2: Karthik | September 27, 2007, 12:27 pm | Direct Link

I donâ€™t know thoughâ€“while I sort of intellectually understand that there will be a discharge because of a lack of insurance, I instinctively feel that itâ€™s just wrong to not treat someone because they canâ€™t pay.

I agree with you on that one. It is SOP for hospitals now. But then again, every person the hospital treats, there is a higher risk of something going wrong and it being sued.

The costs need to come down and that is something the government needs to work on, I just do not see a near term change in the way they operate.

3: Runa | September 27, 2007, 12:43 pm | Direct Link

While I definitely will send some money ,I also do nto understand how the hospital can discharge him. AFAIK, at least in CA,hospitalks cannot refuse emergency medical services because of inability to pay.Maybe his condition is upgraded out of emergency now? Anyway, I hope he recovers

4: libran38 | September 27, 2007, 5:55 pm | Direct Link

I too have the same question as Runa. Also, is this TAMA legit? I understand that the money has to be collected centrally, but are the books of this association open?

5: Karthik | September 27, 2007, 6:36 pm | Direct Link

Also, is this TAMA legit?

I am not sure that I can answer that question, I do not know about them, but they are an organization with a Taxid, so I am sure they maintain their books.

Also here is a list of donors.

6: Mahender Kanaparthi | September 28, 2007, 7:26 pm | Direct Link

All,
Please refer to http://www.help-suresh.org for complete details.
I’m one of the volunteers for http://www.help-suresh.org.

Suresh is still in hospital. Hospital authorities are asking his brother to move suresh to a nursing home. Most of the nursing homes are not accepting him to take. Even if they take, it would cost around $500-$1000 a day.

As a F1, suresh had insurance, but insurance copany said that it wont cover during summer holidays while they are on vacation.
Kind suggestion to F1’s: Please make sure your insurance covers during summer vacation. If not please buy some other insurance.

Contact details are provided on the website. Please feel free to e-mail or call us for any details.

7: Medical Insurance » An Indian student needs your help. [Updated] | October 17, 2007, 11:48 pm | Direct Link

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