Malappuram: An expatriate body is providing significant relief to thousands of returnees from Saudi Arabia after the nationalisation of jobs. Kerala Muslim Culture Centre (KMCC), an outfit of Indian Union Muslim League, will launch a family welfare scheme for them on Saturday. The initiative is to provide substantial financial support for healthcare for 10,000 expats, Saudi returnees and their families in the district.
The KMCC will provide Rs 30,000 for treating diseases like cancer and for open heart surgery, kidney transplantation and dialysis for members and 10 percent of hospital bills. Relatives of a member will get Rs 5 lakh as a one-time relief after their death. The scheme launched by the Jeddah committee of KMCC Malappuram district for its members in 2001 now covers all irrespective of their political and religious affiliations.
“The only criterion for membership is that the applicant should be a resident or a returnee from Jeddah,” said V.P. Musthafa, president of Jeddah Malappuram district KMCC. “The welfare scheme is not linked to any insurance company or bank and is purely run on minimal membership fee and donations managed by KMCC Family Welfare Trust. It has benefited thousands of expats over the years and provides far better financial support as compared to various government schemes for them.” The scheme has more than 6,000 members across the district currently and is expected to reach 10,000 by April.
