<p>Mrs. George from Maharashtra came to Dubai nearly 40 years ago, brought by her mother in law, in hopes of building a better future for her family. She worked as a housekeeper for the same employer for 35 years, starting with a salary of AED 1,500. Her employers&mdash;a Keralaite husband and a Chinese wife&mdash;ran a computer shop in Dubai before migrating to the USA a few years ago<br /> Mrs. George continued her life in Dubai even after her employers left the country. One day, she collapsed at the entrance of a church. According to hospital records, she had been living on the streets for nearly ten days before being admitted to Rashid Hospital in 2024, and was later transferred to Jebel Ali Hospital.<br /> She is leaving Dubai with nothing in her hands after a lifetime of work. Mrs. George shared that she sent all her monthly earnings to her family and even financed her daughter&rsquo;s wedding, though she wasn&rsquo;t present for it. She also revealed that despite 35 years of loyal service, the employer never paid her the gratuity she deserved.<br /> We have seen several similar cases recently. Many blue collar workers are not aware of the savings and pension schemes available for NRIs through the Indian central and state governments. These schemes require only a small monthly contribution, sometimes starting from as low as AED 30. Various community associations in the UAE should actively promote these programs in labour camps and during community events to increase awareness.<br /> The hospital notified the Consulate General of India regarding her condition. The authorities attempted to coordinate with multiple palliative care centres in her hometown and in Mumbai; however, no centre provided a satisfactory response. Eventually, the consulate secured acceptance from a palliative care facility in Kerala. Following this confirmation, I personally travelled with her to Kochi and formally handed her over to the receiving team.</p>