KOTA KINABALU, A family of farmers from the interior of Keningau is seeking assistance for one of their members who was diagnosed with pneumonia last month, and was admitted to a ward in a hospital in South Korea. The family also appeals to the government to help pay the hospital bills, which have reached RM90,000, as they are unable to afford it themselves. Juitah Laimin, 35, who flew to South Korea on April 8 said her brother Eddy, 27, the eighth of 11 siblings, works as a welder in the country. "At first, we thought it was just a common lung infection but after a week, the doctor told us it was more than that and that Eddy had pneumonia," she told Bernama. Since then, she said they have been trying to raise funds through social media to help settle the hospital bill, but it keeps mounting because Eddy has to be hospitalised for treatment, and the doctors would not release him until he is healthy enough to fly back to Malaysia. Juitah said her brother's case also caught the attention of several non-gov ernmental organisations including Solidariti Anak Sabah, which is based in Selangor, to help spread the news. "A pastor in South Korea is also among those trying to help him arrange things and raise funds,' she said, adding that they have received over RM20,000 so far, including RM350 from the Keningau MP's office. When asked if Eddy received assistance from the company where he works, Juitah said there has been no help from the company so far. Meanwhile, Solidariti Anak Sabah president Sem Kulian said the NGO tried to draw the attention of local leaders and ministers from Sabah to help the family. Source: BERNAMA News Agency