The victim of the first of two recent stabbings in White Rock is having his medical bills covered by the province after all.
Jatinder Singh was stabbed from behind while visiting White Rock’s popular waterfront area for the first time with his wife, Manpreet Kaur, on Sunday, April 21.
Singh is recovering at home after the incident, but the worries for the family did not subside as they anticipated the health-care costs that would fall in their laps.
“Jatinder doesn’t have MSP coverage and is worried about the hefty hospital bill coming anytime soon,” the organizer of the GoFundMe for Singh, Bikram Sandhu, wrote on the site.
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A newcomer to Canada, Singh was the sole financial provider for the couple, but the injury has meant that the 28-year-old man is unable to work. The “traumatic incident” was also creating financial stress for the couple.
However, the Ministry of Health informed Peace Arch News that Singh’s provincial health care has been backdated to April 1 to ensure that his medical costs will be covered under MSP.
“This individual currently has active provincial health-care coverage and can access required MSP insurable medical services,” a spokesperson for the Health Ministry stated in an email.
Before this update, Surrey-White Rock MLA Trevor Halford and others were calling on the province to cover Singh’s medical costs.
“David Eby’s catch-and-release policies are to blame: I’m calling on Premier Eby to cover Mr. Singh’s medical expenses so his family can get back on their feet,” Halford shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The GoFundMe for Singh has reached just over $12,673 of the $15,000 goal as of Friday morning (April 26).