<p>Failing to avail of travel insurance for his parents during their visit to the UAE has come at a huge cost for Indian expat Anubhav Khanna.</p> <p>His 66-year-old father, Surendra Nath Khanna, had to be rushed to the hospital due to acute breathlessness on March 15, the next morning after his arrival. He was diagnosed with a lung infection that had already spread to other organs, leading to a multi-organ failure.</p> <p>My brother and I have lost all our life savings. It is unfortunate that we didn&#39;t realise the importance of travel insurance. My parents and I were not familiar with the concept and our financial condition never really allowed us to think about it. I had no idea this could happen. &quot; In desperation, Anubhav borrowed money from family, friends and booked an air ambulance for Dh42,000 from India. However, doctors who came from India said the portable ventilator cannot match the oxygen given to him in the ICU. &quot;They failed to judge his situation and we were told this would be a risk to his health and we cancelled it. The company now refuses refund,&quot; said a devastated Anubhav.</p> <p><strong>Praveen Kumar, a social worker and volunteer of the CGI community volunteer t</strong>eam, said: &quot;We come across a lot of such cases. This is the third case I am coming across in the year. Normally, the consulate helps these residents in whatever capacity they can. We have to address this issue and take it up with the Indian government so as to create awareness among people traveling from India. It hardly costs Dh80-Dh90 for insurance and if you take it from India it does not cost over Rs1,000 for individuals.&quot;</p>