Kerala dentist had stepped away from work to care for her two young children, aged 3.5 and 1.5.
An Indian woman has died after collapsing at her home in Sharjah. Afina Basheer, 32, was the mother of two young children, aged 3.5 years and 1.5 years. Originally from the southern Indian state of Kerala, the family had been living in Sharjah for more than four years.
Her husband, Yasser, told that Afina had appeared to be in good health before the incident.
“She was perfectly healthy and did not show any signs of being ill,” he said. “She was at home when the incident occurred. Preliminary reports say she collapsed and died. We don’t know the actual reason as yet.”
Afina was a trained dentist but had stepped away from her career after giving birth to focus on caring for her two young children, her husband said.
“She wanted to be at home with the children, especially since they are so young,” Yasser said. He added that his sister is currently staying with the family and looking after the children.
The family had returned to Sharjah from their summer holiday in India less than a month before the incident.
“We had travelled to India for the summer vacation and returned on August 19,” Yasser said.
Yasser said the family is waiting for the necessary paperwork to be completed before repatriating Afina’s body to their hometown of Malappuram in Kerala.
“Her parents and two sisters are in India, so we will take her body home,” he said.
Similar tragedies
The incident follows several cases in the UAE involving young people who died after suddenly collapsing.
Earlier this year, two Indian expatriates died after collapsing while playing sports in Dubai. One was a 42-year-old man from Kerala who collapsed while playing badminton, while another was a 38-year-old Dubai resident and well-known cricketer.
Doctors in the UAE have previously highlighted undiagnosed congenital heart conditions and other underlying cardiovascular problems as possible factors in some cases of sudden collapse. Such conditions can sometimes remain undetected until a serious medical event occurs.
Medical professionals have therefore stressed the importance of regular health screenings, including cardiovascular checks, even for people who appear healthy, as identifying certain underlying conditions early can allow for timely medical intervention.
Last year, two teenagers in Dubai were also reported to have died after suddenly collapsing.
