yes that is very strange. I suppose they thought most of the applicants would be based overseas when they asked for biometrics.
Maybe you can plan a trip to your home country while you take the biometrics? Visit relatives and friends?
At the end of the day, the amount in healthcare coverage would be far more than the 4-5k. Consider it an expense to get the PR?
Actually to put it in perspective, all of us would have to spend some money to get our parents over from wherever they are anyway (ie plane tickets from India, Australia, China, Europe, New Zealand, UK, Malaysia etc) . So consider it part of the whole process and expenses?