Cancer patient overjoyed after Crown Prince of Dubai answers online plea to pay medical bill

Emirati patient receiving treatment in the US gets a welcome surprise after posting Instagram video

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, offered Eid greetings in a call to Dubai Police's operations room.

Just hours after an Emirati cancer patient took to social media raising concerns about the spiralling cost of his cancer treatment, his prayers were answered by the Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad.

Concerned Khalifa Mohamed Rashid Da’fous Al Muhairi posted an emotional video on Instagram after being told by doctors the bill for his cancer care would likely hit Dh3 million.

Khalifa Mohamed had no expectations of financial support, but was overjoyed when Sheikh Hamdan stepped in to offer to pay for his treatment.

The patient is in the US receiving extensive treatment for cancer, and is recovering after an unsuccessful lung surgery. Medics have told Khalifa Mohamed that he should not expect to live more than a few years.

The heartfelt video was spotted by Sheikh Hamdan, who is a well-known user of Instagram and is regularly posting photos and videos of his own everyday life.

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Read more:

Cancer is one of the biggest killers in the UAE - and the cost of treatment can be a double blow

UAE patients pay the price of rising costs of cancer care

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Escalating cancer costs have been a hot topic of discussion in recent months, at home and overseas.

The UAE cancer charity Rahma estimates chemotherapy can cost up to Dh32,000 a month.

With a course of treatment potentially lasting months, care bills can escalate beyond the reach of many without a comprehensive health insurance plan in place.

Those costs are one less thing for Khalifa Mohamed to worry about after the generous offer from the Crown Prince.