Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Jul 28: Hazel Mathias, a nurse working for Al Miqua Hospital run by the health department of Saudi Arabian government, had called her family living at Kuthyaru Baggathota Rastedaddu at 4 pm on July 19. She seemed cheerful when she contacted her loving ones through video call and said that she would sleep for three hours as her next duty hours begin at 7 pm. Nobody then could guess that it was her last call.
There were no plausible reasons for Hazel to think of ending her life. During the time she spoke to the family, she was calm and confident and there were no signs of apprehension or tension. Because of these things, her husband, father and other family members strongly believe that it could not have been a case of suicide.
A woman from Kinnigoli had gone to Saudi Arabia the same day. She called Hazel from Mangaluru airport and Hazel had talked to her. She reached Saudi Arabia the next day but her calls to Hazel went unanswered. Worried over this development, she visited the room in which Hazel lived, and learnt about Hazel's death. She then called Hazel's family and told them what had happened. Out of three roommates of Hazel, one is Pakistani, who had been to her native place on leave then. The other two are from Kerala.
Hazel D'Souza
Hazel's family
Hazel was expected to visit her native place on August 27 this year for the birthday celebrations of the son of her elder sister, Rency Fernandes. She had spoken to her father living in Kuwait about this plan. Hazel's father, Robert Quadros, has been in Kuwait since the last 39 years. After being in the government service for 15 years, he has been running a business there.
Hazel and her husband had built a house near Daddu on Baggathota Road in Kuthyaru. Hazel, who was working as nurse in Saudi Arabia since the last six years, was hoping to resign from her job, avail of the government facilities for which she would have become eligible, and return home permanently shortly. During her visit during the house warming ceremony of her home last year, she had shared these thoughts with her family members.
It is said that as per the law in force in Saudi Arabia, report about the inquest, post mortem etc have to be placed before the judge. If he does not approve the report, investigation has to be held afresh. Once approved, the report has to be submitted to the embassy. After calculating the assets, facilities for which the deceased nurse was eligible, the body will have to be sent to India, which might take nearly two weeks, considering that Friday and Saturday are holidays there.
Hazel was a brilliant student, and when studying in A J Hospital, she had bagged gold medal in BSc (nursing). She had topped in the nursing examination conducted at Saudi Arabia by scoring 90 percent marks.
Investigation about the death has begun at Saudi Arabia, where police have taken into custody her roommates. It is said that their cell phones, laptops etc have also been confiscated. But the government or hospital administration there has not been providing any information to Hazel's family here. The family does not know what is going on there. At the same time, efforts are being made to get some information through the ministry of external affairs.