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?My brother?s stranded in a hell-hole'

Jun 23 2007

by Katie Norman, South Wales Echo


A SERIOUSLY ill holidaymaker is stranded in a cockroach-infested Dominican Republic hospital because his insurance company is refusing to fly him home.

Today, Terrence Bull?s family from Rumney in Cardiff spoke of their fears for his future and their desperation to bring him back to South Wales.

His brother Carl said: ?This is an absolute nightmare.?

The 20-year-old became ill hours after landing in the Caribbean on Sunday.

He was on his first holiday abroad without his family, with girlfriend Charlotte Hood, when he started to suffer sickness and diarrhoea.


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After being admitted to hospital, doctors said he had an abnormally high white blood cell count.

His family are now desperate for him to return to Wales for proper tests and treatment, but his insurance company has insisted he must first receive a second opinion from another doctor in the Dominican Republic. If he was to fly home immediately, the family would have to stump up the ?700 fare.

His brother Carl, 23, is worried after Terrence said the hospital was dirty and infested with cockroaches.

Carl, from Marion Street, Splott, Cardiff, said: ?We?re all mortified and really worried.

?My mother?s going out of her mind.?

Joiner Terrence, who is known as TJ, lives with his mother Deborah, 43, in New Road, Rumney.

He and Charlotte had been on a two-week First Choice Holidays break to the Dominican Republic, with an insurance policy from Europ Assistance arranged through First Choice.

A day after he landed in the Caribbean, he began feeling pins and needles throughout his body and became feverish.

Carl said his brother was usually fit and healthy, with no history of illness.

Carl said: ?This is a complete shock.

?He?s usually physically fit and healthy. He?s into his weights and jogging and he was even in the Army for a year or two when he was 17.

?He?s absolutely terrible at the moment.

?His doctor has referred him to another doctor and they?re all speaking Spanish to him. He?s being given injections and he doesn?t know what they?re for because he can?t understand.?

Carl claimed a First Choice representative had not been to see his brother until after the Echo got in touch with the firm.

Martyn Armitage, a spokesman for Europ Assistance, said he was aware Terrence was ?unhappy with the treatment he has received?, but the firm could not decide whether to fly him home until after he had been seen by another doctor.

He said: ?Once we get the second opinion we can establish the situation and take relevant action.?

In a statement, First Choice said the firm?s staff in the Dominican Republic were offering ?every assistance possible?.

It said: ?First Choice is sorry to hear about Mr Bull?s illness during his holiday in the Dominican Republic and would like to reassure him, and indeed all of our customers, that
 

BushBaby

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A 'Second opinion' sounds sensible - would the patient be ABLE to fly with the medical problem he has? I didn't see where the Insurance Company was REUSING to fly him back to Cardiff - did I miss something?

To be fair in posting the report here, What does First Choice have to say - has the OP checked with them?

Which hospital is supposed to be cockroach infested? Did the reporter check or was this 'Journalistic Licence'?

Has the OP checked to confirm the patient is STILL in hospital & if not, is the 'Problem' is over now? ~ Grahame.