It was only a minor operation, but it left Madam Rani, her family's sole breadwinner, unable to return to work. The 37-year-old had a cut on her arm that became infected and she needed surgery to fix it.
She could not continue working as a cleaner, which meant losing her $1,500 monthly income that supported her four children, aged between 11 and 19, and her mother, who suffers from diabetes, asthma and the effects of a mild stroke.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Read the full story and more at $9.90/month
Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month
ST One Digital
$9.90/month
No contract
ST app access on 1 mobile device
Unlock these benefits
All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com
Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device
E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you