Backbreaking boat trip in Thailand for Nurse Carol
Overseas medical: $51,484.97
Additional expenses: $11,400.39
Total claim: $62,885.36
Carol is a seasoned traveller, but for her husband Alan it was the first time abroad when they went for a 2 week holiday to Phuket and Cambodia.
On their fourth day in Phuket, they decided on a day trip island hopping on a speed boat. They sat at the front of the boat enjoying the views and the sunshine, when after llunch the weather turned and the waves got bigger.
On that same day Cover-More would look after 3 different patients suffering from spinal injuries caused by boat rides in high seas in that area. Carol would be one of them.
Despite the bigger waves, the boat did not slow down and the front of the boat received the full brunt of the waves. The passengers were instructed to stay sitting, but as the boat continuously launched into the air and then slammed back onto the water, Carol’s back suddenly gave way. She had to lay down at the back of the boat trying not to move with her husband leaning over her to keep a stable position until they got back to the shore – which wasn’t for another one and a half hours.
When they finally did get back to shore an ambulance was already waiting for her at the port. Carol could not stand at all and being a nurse, she knew something was seriously wrong. She was taken directly to a private hospital in Phuket, and after doing x-rays the doctors wanted to operate on her.
Her husband Alan contacted Cover-More in Sydney and their medical team started communicating with the Phuket hospital straight away. They learnt that Carol had a burst fracture of her first lumbar vertebrae, which is a very serious injury and if not treated appropriately, Carol could have ended up becoming paraplegic.
Cover-More insisted that Carol be air-ambulanced to Bangkok as they feared that the lack of adequate facilities in Phuket would not allow for a successful outcome of this tricky neurosurgery. They got in touch with their medical contact in Bangkok, an Australian doctor who works in what Cover-More deems one of the best hospitals in the world.
Alan was booked into a hotel 5 minutes from the Bangkok hospital to make things as easy as possible. Cover-More’s medical team stayed in touch with both Carol and Alan on a daily basis, as well as the treating doctors in Bangkok.
After 12 days, they were both flown back to Australia for further treatment, accompanied by a medical escort in business class.