Holiday nightmare: British citizen stranded in Thai hospital with a 400,000 baht plea to escape
A British citizen‘s tropical holiday in Thailand has turned into a desperate battle for survival, as he faces suspected leukaemia in dire hospital conditions.
With blood-soaked beds and a looming 10,000 pounds (446,000 baht) bill, Dean Penson’s ordeal has become a nightmare that his friends are determined to end.
Penson, a British citizen from Southend-on-Sea, who looked forward to a blissful break in Thailand’s Phuket, now finds himself trapped in the nightmarish Vachira Phuket Hospital. A suspected case of leukaemia has turned his paradise into a desperate struggle for life, aggravated by shocking conditions in the government-run medical facility.
Penson’s best friend, Ben Page, paints a harrowing picture of the hospital’s conditions, describing it as a place resembling a war-torn zone.
“It feels like the third world. There’s blood all over Dean’s bed. There has been blood on the cover since he got there. There’s no toilet roll, you just wash with a hose.”
Shockingly, Penson’s roommates are succumbing to their illnesses just feet away, with no privacy or dignity in their final moments.
The British citizen’s dire situation is compounded by the absence of travel insurance, a decision that now haunts him and his friends. Urged by his friend, Page, to secure coverage before departure, Penson’s hesitation due to a pre-existing knee injury has left him facing astronomical medical bills.
In a desperate bid to bring their friend home, Page and others have initiated a crowdfunding campaign, hoping to raise approximately 10,000 pounds.
Penson’s health spiral began around November 15, prompting a rushed visit to a local hospital. With an alarmingly low blood count, he underwent numerous transfusions over ten days, Page revealed.
“He’s just got worse and worse, he’s really anaemic… His bloods are just so low, which could be leukaemia.”
Despite hopes that Penson will be fit to fly soon, a staggering hospital bill looms large, adding to the financial burden, reported The Mirror UK.
Page, who briefly returned to the UK before rejoining his friend, expressed concern about the mounting hospital charges.
“The hospital has so far charged around 5,000. He’s obviously run up a bill here that he can’t afford to pay.”
The situation worsens as Penson anticipates another visit to A&E upon his return, piling on more financial woes.
If you would like to donate some money to get the sick British man home, click HERE.
