Worker has leg amputated after accident at work, already owes NUH $114,000

Singapore – A young migrant worker who came to Singapore to make a better life for his family had his right leg amputated after an accident at work and facing mounting medical bills that already top $114,000.

Vinoth, 24, came to Singapore from Tamil Nadu, India, in January 2021 and was employed  a month later.. But on Dec 3, last year, a heavy steel plate fell and crushed his right leg. It had to be amputated to save his life.

According to Vinoth’s Give Asia campaign, his project supervisor had instructed the team to unload five steel plates from a lorry using an excavator equipped with a lifting hook and gear.

Four were unloaded safely, but the last one could not be hooked for hoisting.. The operator could not control it properly and the heavy piece of steel crushed Vinoth’s leg. He was rushed to the nearest hospital and had multiple operations.

The injured leg became  infected and the infection began to spread upwards, so doctors had no choice but to amputate, according to Give Asia.

Vinoth is still in hospital and in additiion to the more than  S$114,000. in medical bills so far,  he will need S$50,000 more for further treatment after he can be moved to a rehabilitation centre.

The campaign says that Vinoth may  receive compensation of S$45,000, if that is approved by an insurance company.

To date, more than S$81,000 of the S$150,000 needed has been raised. His colleagues are pitching in to fund a prosthetic leg for him to continue working.

The company has offered to keep him employed and put him on  light duties so that  Vinoth can stay on and support his parents and sister back home.

The funds raised in the campaign will go directly to NUH to pay his hospital bill.

Singapore-based non-profit organisation ItsRainingRaincoats  shared Vinoth’s story in a Facebook post on Jan 25.

“A migrant worker friend reached out asking if we could send him some food and snacks, which our volunteers have been doing,” it said.

“He is in shock and grief since his discharge, but our team have been so impressed that despite everything he’s gone through, he can still manage a smile for the camera.”/TISG

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