Cataract surgery for Pavel: covering what insurance won't

Pavel was diagnosed with a herniated spinal disc in January. The surgeon at Dhaka Community Hospital recommended cataract surgery, and He is scheduled for March. The hospital's financial office gave us a written estimate of $500, and after what the public health scheme will pay we're still $300 short. my husband has been in and out of Dhaka Community Hospital since January. The doctors say a herniated spinal disc will get worse without cataract surgery. We have emptied our savings and borrowed from relatives, but the estimate of $500 is more than we can find. While we wait, Pavel struggles with daily life and can't look after the children alone. His family has taken turns caring for him, and I've cut my own work hours to be there. Recovery is expected to take about 12 weeks. During that time Pavel won't be able to look after the children alone, so the costs keep growing. I'll pay the hospital and pharmacy directly and post every receipt in the updates section. Where the $300 goes: • Post-operative medication: $25 • Hospital stay (5 nights): $220 • Pre-operative tests and imaging: $55 Thanks for being kind about this. - Shefali