Having checked into our Hotel, showered and changed, now we needed a taxi and the address of the hospital. We asked the receptionist at the hotel to write down the hotel name and address ( in Chinese). The hotel called a Taxi and we piled in, showed the guy the address. Then began what would become quite routine. Taxi driver reads the card phones someone and then asks the concierge...then refuses to go. We all get out hail another cab...show the address...typically about the third attempt it all works and off we go. 20 minutes later we arrive at a huge hospital/ University and find the accident and Emergency wing and the observation ward and David
He is lying in a bed, the guy must have the constitution of an Ox. He has had an X ray and is now lying in the observation ward. He is most obviously in pain. We manage to find the doctor in charge of Davids case, she speaks very good English." Your friend has had a bad accident, he has a broken femur right by the hip joint it is a crush fracture and it is very important he does not move the damaged joint, we have put a plaster cast on him to immobilise the joint, I recommend an operation now". Ok no problem we will need to get his insurance company on the case, we cannot give the go ahead, and we need a copy of his medical report to email to them, the medical report in hand and back to David.
" Guys the pain is really bad sort this out as soon as possible guys, I have nothing for the pain" David must have been in agony. We updated him on the insurance company the claim the papers required and assured him we would push and chase as hard as we could to get it sorted. Managed to explain he needed pain relief, they gave him tablets, they refused to give David intravenous medication. Back to the hotel, take photos of everything e mail to the insurance, and off to bed.
Up the next morning and the phone call no one wanted to make, someone has to call Davids wife in Australia and tell her. She took it all so calmly, " Ok I can chase the insurance company from here as well, make sure they look after him". I should mention that Davids wife is a nurse...she understood just exactly what should be happening.
The next 5 days proved one thing, insurance companies do not like paying out!. We emailed the medical report, " It is in Chinese we need it in English and we need the translation stamped by a registered agency" A day running around.... sorted and emailed across." We need a second report by our approved medical agent" , " you need to deal with us via our agent in Bejing" WTF can they do in Bejing!!!.Whilst all this was happening poor David was lying in the observation ward, it became clear on the second day that the observation ward was just that observation, no food, no personal care. Day two we took him back to our hotel, it was where he wanted to be and where we could take care of him 24 hours a day. David wanted out, " These insurance guys are B**stds fellas I think I could get on a regular plane", we booked him on a flight to Melbourne ( he was never going to get on that flight, however for 36 hours he had hope and could see an end to it) Ambulance arrives at hotel to take him to the airport, its obvious David cannot sit in a seat and there is real danger he could do damage if he tries. David admits he cannot fly, flight is cancelled. David back to the Hotel. The insurance company finally accept responsibility and start to move. Davids re admitted to hospital in a private ward with a 24 hour carer. Davids wife has been trying to sort a visa so she can fly to be with him, "emergency visa, no problem 10 days".
David was finally flown to Bangkok 7 days after his accident.
