If you read his gofundme it says along with the wrong city he fell ill in that he is "Normally fit and healthy with no pre-existing conditions", story is full of holes.
So getting travel insurance cheaply from his bank covering his entire trip whatever country he went to should not have been a problem might have been a little more expensive for his age but probably money well spent given the current circumstances.
Shoulda, coulda, woulda up to the family to pick up the pieces now, not a very intelligent traveler to put the burden on them.