A truck driver from Cork, Ireland, is fighting for his life in a Bangkok hospital after an unexpected twist of fate following a rare mosquito bite in Thailand.

 

The Burke family now faces daily bills of 2,700 euros (103,213 baht) for his intensive care, leaving them in a desperate plea for help.

 

Originally planning to return home on November 19, 36 year old James Burke excitedly texted his family, expressing his anticipation for the reunion. However, tragedy struck during his taxi ride to the airport, and he was later diagnosed with Dengue fever, reported the Irish Independent.

 

“James never made it home. That was the last we heard from him.”

 

His parents, 83 year old Walter and 76 year old Maureen, alongside his eight siblings, spent days in frantic uncertainty until they discovered he was hospitalised through his hotel.

 

Facing a critical decision, Thai clinicians requested permission to intubate James in Bangkok Hospital. Speaking to PJ Coogan on the 96FM Opinion Line, Burke’s mother Maureen disclosed the dire situation.

 

By Puntid Tantivangphaisal

Caption: Photo courtesy of Irish Mirror

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-12-14

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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The mistake being Bangkok private hospital.

why not covered by insurance, cheap due to his age

12 minutes ago, steve187 said:

why not covered by insurance, cheap due to his age

 

On the gofundme page it mentioned something about being in Thailand beyond his original planned duration of stay.

 

Perhaps he had a 60 day policy and decided to extend for another month.

 

I've never seen a travel insurance policy which is linked to flight dates but maybe that's a thing. Not very helpful if you get ill on the way to the airport - like the taxi crashes - 5 hours of treatment then they cut you off because you're holiday has ended. Strange.

 

my understanding it that one should get cover from leaving home country to returning to home country, there was a thread on here that explained this a short while ago

Sad.  If the family can read this, move him to a Government hospital, they know how to deal with Dengue at much cheaper rates.

Quote

“The cost [of] the hospital is 2,700 euros daily"

WTF!

Sure ICU is not cheap, but that's heart stopping.

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

tragedy struck during his taxi ride to the airport, and he was later diagnosed with Dengue fever,

 

That sounds unrealistic.

 

Quote

 

Dengue begins abruptly after a typical incubation period of 5–7 days, and the course follows 3 phases: febrile, critical, and convalescent.

 

https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/healthcare-providers/clinical-presentation.html

 

 

That was a long taxi ride!

Thailand still struggling with basic illnesses.  Probably die of piles in this country.

I would not pay more than USD50.00 per day to save my life.

 

If I get breakbone fever, just shoot me up with painkillers, and let fate decide.

 

This is not a joke....

 

I would rather die than pay more than USD50.00 per day.

 

Therefore, better for me to just stay at home with a decent supply of hospital prescribed morphine.

 

If I live...OK.

If I die...Good.

 

Let the gods decide.

I put myself in the gods' hands....

 

If I should die, in the end, then it will not have been my loss.

 

(I feel sorry for his father, however, at age 83!)

 

 

 

 

Edited December 14, 20232 yr by GammaGlobulin

9 hours ago, BritManToo said:

The mistake being Bangkok private hospital.

Yeah no kidding. Ludicrously overpriced. I have a friend who got admitted there for another condition (also was on the brink) - he survived but had to sell an apartment(!) to fund his hospital bills.

 

Out of curiosity- if one were to be in critical condition, where would you recommend they go/get admitted to? can a government hospital be trusted? are there private hospitals that won't cost you an apartment or a kidney?

Hope you gona be fine soon buddy. And hopefully it wasnt a huge Lady bar mosquito who bite you.

Why intubate for Dengue, I've never heard of that before?

 

The poor man has been made captive by a private hospital, Dengue is recoverable but his pocket book never will, not where he is.

2 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

Yeah no kidding. Ludicrously overpriced. I have a friend who got admitted there for another condition (also was on the brink) - he survived but had to sell an apartment(!) to fund his hospital bills.

 

Out of curiosity- if one were to be in critical condition, where would you recommend they go/get admitted to? can a government hospital be trusted? are there private hospitals that won't cost you an apartment or a kidney?

Get yourself to a District Hospital if you need care for anything serious, failing that, an Amphur government hospital that is close to the District Hospital. District Hospitals have some of the best doctors in the country, you may not see them immediately but you will if they are required. Districts often use student doctors to treat patients but that's part of their medical training, behind them is a strong layer of very capable doctors. The only thing that's better is a University Hospital, especially if it's a medical training University such as CMU, that's as good as it gets anywhere. Doctors at University hospitals often put in hours at the private hospitals such as Bangkok Hospital, just for the extra money, most as Associate or Assistant Professor level.

Edited December 14, 20232 yr by Mike Lister

If he’s in a private hospital, don’t the doctor speak English that was confusing to me. TIT.

10 hours ago, Stocky said:

WTF!

Sure ICU is not cheap, but that's heart stopping.

But a money maker.... private Thai hospitals are a business.

"rare mosquito bite"....incorrect -  Dengue Fever is a very common disease, and on the increase

Rather surprised that a Private Hospital admitted him in the first place without either insurance or money. They turned the Taiwan tourist away!

Thats the most expensive ICU I have heard off,  this happens all the time here,  the ambulance guys that work for free get a 10% commission, so all the farang get set to the most expensive hospitals, then we see everyone begging for money in the media and family panicking and losing everything,  so the hospital can make a fortune!  I understand the value in better hospitals, but the family should be told the options,  my friend was in ICU in a government hospital for 2500 baht a day. Maybe the media could do a better job of pointing this out, the hospital don't give a crap the financial problems they make.

37 minutes ago, Mike Lister said:

Why intubate for Dengue, I've never heard of that before?

 

The poor man has been made captive by a private hospital, Dengue is recoverable but his pocket book never will, not where he is.

The haemorrhagic version can be fatal.

11 hours ago, CanadaSam said:

Sad.  If the family can read this, move him to a Government hospital, they know how to deal with Dengue at much cheaper rates.

Old saying - you only get what you pay for.  It may have been his choice to go to Bangkok Hospital.  Government hospitals are hardly comfortable places to recover from any illness.  Overworked and underpaid staff.  Most care for patient care is handled by the family

It was on the news in Australia last night that over 40% of travellers are now forgoing travel insurance due to the cost. I was amazed at how much more expensive it is now when I went to Thailand in June, where the minimum comprehensive policy for a month was about $A350 while I paid $450 for one which covered me for motorbike riding and covid, both ill ness and out of pocket costs. That's a lot of money on top of airfares. It's understandable why people task the risk. It's also understandable why they shouldn't.

3 minutes ago, bradiston said:

The haemorrhagic version can be fatal.

I'm aware, but I've still never heard of anyone being intubated, it seems he was very unlucky and the disease very advanced:.

 

"Dyspnea may occur due to pleural effusion (most frequently), acute respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary hemorrhage, pneumonia, or shock. Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage is rare, and is typically related to severe-often fatal-forms of the disease. Hemoptysis has been reported in 1.4% of DENV infections".

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

However, tragedy struck during his taxi ride to the airport,

That's not true, for a start, unless he was in the airport for at least 3 days.

 

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2024/infections-diseases/dengue

Symptomatic dengue begins abruptly after an incubation period of 5–7 days (range 3–10 days)

 

I had 3 strains of dengue in Thailand ( separately, not at the same time ) and it's no fun at all. It's like flu on steroids. I didn't go to hospital any of the times. Lasted about 3 days before I could move about easily.

7 minutes ago, bradiston said:

The haemorrhagic version can be fatal.

Correct, but apparently that's rare, luckily for me with my 3 infections.

5 minutes ago, fdimike said:

Old saying - you only get what you pay for.  It may have been his choice to go to Bangkok Hospital.  Government hospitals are hardly comfortable places to recover from any illness.  Overworked and underpaid staff.  Most care for patient care is handled by the family

This is not a fair and accurate representation of government hospitals. Perhaps it applies in some cases but it certainly doesn't in my neck of the woods. As said earlier, the further away you are from a District Hospital, the worse it seems to be.

11 hours ago, CanadaSam said:

Sad.  If the family can read this, move him to a Government hospital, they know how to deal with Dengue at much cheaper rates.

He had acute kidney failure, pneumonia, a bleed on the brain and severe nerve damage.  Not simple Dengue fever.  I'm sure it just didn't happen instantly during the taxi ride.

1 minute ago, Mike Lister said:

I'm aware, but I've still never heard of anyone being intubated, it seems he was very unlucky and the disease very advanced:.

 

"Dyspnea may occur due to pleural effusion (most frequently), acute respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary hemorrhage, pneumonia, or shock. Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage is rare, and is typically related to severe-often fatal-forms of the disease. Hemoptysis has been reported in 1.4% of DENV infections".

I had a beautiful friend die of it in a private hospital. Comatose, multiple organ failure, on life support. Family had to decide whether to turn it off.

Dengue is nasty but shouldn't be life threatening in an otherwise healthy person. He is only 36. 

5 minutes ago, Spock said:

It was on the news in Australia last night that over 40% of travellers are now forgoing travel insurance due to the cost. I was amazed at how much more expensive it is now when I went to Thailand in June, where the minimum comprehensive policy for a month was about $A350 while I paid $450 for one which covered me for motorbike riding and covid, both ill ness and out of pocket costs. That's a lot of money on top of airfares. It's understandable why people task the risk. It's also understandable why they shouldn't.

If people can't afford to buy travel insurance they can't afford to travel. It's beyond foolish imagining that they will never need it.

 

It might already be required, but Thailand should require proof of insurance before allowing a tourist to enter, if only to protect the foolish from their own stupidity.