Rushed to UAE hospital for 'fever', 29-year-old dies overnight

When friends and roommates of 29-year-old Nabhan Nazar rushed him to a hospital in Ajman for what they believed to be complications of a fever, they never imagined they would not see him alive again. His colleagues and roommates rushed him to the emergency department of Thumbay Hospital Ajman after he complained of breathing problems and pain in the chest.

Nabhan, who hailed from the south Indian state of Kerala, passed away in the wee hours of Saturday due to multiple organ failure. 

After the Kannur native was brought in, he was immediately categorised as a 'red flag' case and shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU). "He was extremely weak and was not even able to give a history of his illness," said Dr Shaik Altaf Basha, specialist in internal medicine at the hospital, who attended to Nabhan.

Friends of Nabhan briefed the doctor that he had fever for the past 10 days but he did not pay much attention to it. "Upon investigation, we found that he was dehydrated and had low blood pressure. Since he could not breathe, he was put on a ventilator," said Dr Basha.

Test results showed that Nabhan had pneumonia, which is an infection of the



lung, pleurisy - an inflammation of the lungs - as well enlarged lymph glands.

"Blood tests showed that the kidney was failing while the liver too was affected," said the doctor, adding that there was an indication that he had sepsis, which had spread to his organs through the blood.

The white blood cell (WBC) count showed a presence of 135,000, while the normal is between 4,000-10,000. "There was a possibility that he had leukaemia and he never knew about it, because apparently he was a fit person. This was coupled with an infection in the body," said Dr Basha.

Nabhan was unmarried and worked as in the administration department at a Thumbay clinic. "We, too, were very shocked with his condition and the sudden death (at such a young age)," added Dr Basha.

He was laid to rest after Asr prayer at Al Quoz cemetery. Family sources said his parents are based in Kuwait.

Nabhan was born and raised in Kuwait and moved to the UAE about two years back.

His friends and relatives remember him as a fit person. "He was a fitness freak," said a friend. "He was very health conscious and followed a very strict diet. We are shocked."