Bhatkal Man, who was in coma for nine months in Saudi finally back to India

BENGALURU: Family members of Makde Abubakar, 40, who was in a coma for more than nine months at a hospital in Saudi Arabia, finally got to see him on Friday. Notwithstanding all their efforts to woo the Indian Embassy to lend them a helping hand, the family could not see him or pay the bill, amounting to nearly Rs 1 crore. Abubakar finally returned, thanks to the benevolence of the Riyadh hospital which has decided to waive his dues. He was shifted to a hospital in Bengaluru. Employed with a courier company in Riyadh, Abubakar slipped into coma after a road accident. Belonging to Udupi district's Shiroor, about 10km from Bhatkal in coastal Karnataka, he remained speechless throughout his treatment. His family's attempts to bring him back — they even approached minister of external affairs Sushma Swaraj — didn't yield the desired results.