Worker found dead in Khoo Teck Puat Hospital leaves behind 3 young daughters

He was a loving husband and a doting father to his three young daughters.

Mr Alagu Periyakarrupan, 46, who had been working in Singapore as a construction worker for the last 10 years, would call his family in India every day.

All he wanted was to give his family a better shot at life.

But that came to a tragic end when he was found motionless last Thursday at a staircase landing at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, where he was warded after testing positive for Covid-19 on April 19.

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The incident happened hours after he last spoke to his family.

The Ministry of Health said he died from injuries likely caused by a fall from height, not complications caused by the virus.

As the sole breadwinner for six others back in his hometown in the Andaman Islands, Mr Alagu leaves his parents-in-law, his wife and daughters aged 16, 11 and six.

Speaking to The New Paper through a translator, his wife, Madam A. Panjali, 40, said the family is finding it difficult to come to terms with his death and to make ends meet.

"He would call daily, asking about the family, and talk to each of our daughters," she said.

"His last call to us was last Wednesday. The next day we got a call from a relative in Singapore saying he passed away."

The family said they have not been contacted directly by his employer since the incident, and the only details they know about his death are from the newspapers.

"Our daughters loved him very much, and looked forward to his daily calls, but now they suddenly don't have a father anymore," said Madam Panjali.

"My parents are very old also and have medical expenses, and we all depended on him. Now we are struggling to figure out how we are going to manage going forward."

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Ms Dipa Swaminathan, founder of migrant worker social enterprise ItsRainingRaincoats, said they have reached out to the family and are trying to help them.

"The incident is heartbreaking although we don't really know all the details except what has been reported in the press," she said.

She added that without Mr Alagu, the burden falls on their 16-year-old daughter to finish school and college and get a job to support them.

It may take the teenager, who is said to be an excellent student, another five years to be able to start working.

MORE SUPPORT

Ms Dipa said she hopes for more support from the public to help the family till then.

"We hope with everyone's support she can get to that point and we hope to keep in touch to help her find a job," she said.

"From then on and with her departed father's blessings, we pray she can have a successful career and take care of her mother and younger sisters."

This article was first published in The New Paper. Permission required for reproduction.

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