Aussie patient from Lao in critical condition taken to Udon

[wazza]

This guy is lucky .

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24208232-2,00.html

[mortiboy]

I an surprised they did'nt want see his health insurance! Must have cost a lot of money! Maybe they were told he was insured! If not ,I wonder!

[wazza]

Im sure once the Australian Medical Officer assessed this situation, then Insurance companies would have approved all this. The first proirity would be to get him out of Lao and into a hospital system that can support his condition. The Lao Public hospital in Vietianne is of an extremely poor standard believe me. Its only 1 of 2 hospitals in Lao that has defibs to my knowledge and the other is in Luang Prabang provided by the Chinese. Even then the hosp in LP has problems as they dont have the budget to pay the power for the air con etc.

The Australian Clinic attached to the Embassy has the best equipped ambulance in Lao. The Dr has Pre Hospital Care experience and very competent.

The helicopter used is a private charter and not authorised to fly direct to Udon, Its generally not allowed to fly to the border even. Lao paranoia. They think they will smuggle people etc out under this medivac guise.

So a long drive by Ambulance to the bridge, and a transfer to the Thai Ambulance waiting for them, or maybe a direct transfer to the Udon hospital.

Secondry transfer to BKK will take some time and would involve SOS or Medwings.

Now being stabilised in BKK and im sure they will want him back in Oz asap.

Another Lear Jet trip to a major city in Oz.

All up not much change out of say $150,000 AUD, my estimation , and I have done just a few of these type cases.

Dont travel without your travel insurance people. It costs approx 6000 baht for a 1 year cover from an international company within Thailand. This covers you for a trip up to 90 days out of Thailand.

Even your border runs could expose you to a nasty accident within Lao / Singapore / Malaysia.

[mortiboy]

Wazza,I am surprised this man survived the rescue from Lao to oz,What an ordeal!But what if he had no insurance?I cant see lao government help in that case!
Wont be doing any jungle treks at my age.I cant even GET! an insurance as I am at deaths door (66)! as far as insurance companies are concerned!

Dont travel without your travel insurance people. It costs approx 6000 baht for a 1 year cover from an international company within Thailand. This covers you for a trip up to 90 days out of Thailand.

Even your border runs could expose you to a nasty accident within Lao / Singapore / Malaysia.

[wazza]

He still has to get to Oz yet, too unstable to fly i imagine, even with an ICU staffed plane .

Troplical ulcers, septic, dehydrated, pneumonia and the list goes on....

[beer monkey]

THE condition of an Australian man who spent 11 days lost in a jungle in Laos has taken a turn for the worse.

Hayden Adcock, 40, suffered hallucinations and was left with multiple health problems after he went missing on a short walk to a waterfall in a national park in the Khammouane province of Laos on July 31.

A helicopter search found him on August 10 and he was airlifted to hospital in Bangkok, Thailand.

His 78-year-old father Stan, who lives at Yandina on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, said his Hong Kong-based nephew Ian Adcock, had called to tell him Hayden's condition had deteriorated last night.

"His condition has gone downhill," Mr Adcock said today.

"Yesterday, it took a turn for the worse.

"He's got some major problems like internal bleeding and he's on dialysis, so his kidneys are failing again and they are talking again about suspected pneumonia - so they are three bad reports."

Hayden had suffered multiple organ failure, including a collapsed lung, during his jungle ordeal.

"Everything is down and it's not looking good but we've still got hope," Mr Adcock said.

Hayden's mother, Lynne Sturrock, had flown to Bangkok to be with her son and further word on his condition was expected later this afternoon.

Mr Adcock said his son was an experienced traveller and bushwalker who had taken 12 months off work with the Australian Tax Office to take a six-month contract teaching English in Hanoi, Vietnam.