Hungarian tourist dies in Phuket after failing to reveal Bangla Road visits

Dr Chalermpong Sukhonthapol, the director of Phuket’s Vachira Hospital, has revealed details of a Hungarian tourist who recently died of Covid-19, but had earlier withheld details of his visits to the island’s red light district in Bangla Road, Patong.

Bangla Road has been the island’s hotzone for new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus.

The case has resulted in more than 100 medical staff being suspended and placed in quarantine as a precaution. Originally the Hungarian man arrived from Malaysia.

Dr Chalermpong reports that the Hungarian man was involved in a traffic incident on March 25 and was admitted to the Chalong Hospital, then later transferred to Vachira Hospital in Phuket Town.

“The patient had numbness and weakness in all limbs. He could talk, but did not mention his activities had put him at risk of Covid-19 infection though being asked.”

He firstly had an operation on his broken neck and spine. He the regained consciousness and was responding well and talking to attending staff.

Then, on March 29, he had a visit from a friend he’d met whilst visiting Bangla Road in Patong.

After some further scrutiny hospital staff found out that the Hungarian had visited Bangla Road and stayed in the area for two weeks. The hospital conducted tests and found the man was infected with the coronavirus.

The Hungarian tourist developed a high fever and breathing difficulties soon after. He died on Friday morning.

“The death of the Hungarian tourist is a shock because he did not report the Covid-19 infection risk in the first place. One hundred and twelve medical personnel who had done their best to save were put at risk because of their contact with him,” Dr Chalermpong told Bangkok Post.

112 at-risk staff are now confined to quarantine for 14 days, some are in home quarantine. 94 have tested negative for the disease, 18 were awaiting test results.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post