The family of a British man who was seriously injured while backpacking in Thailand have been forced to spend thousands of pounds on his hospital treatment.
Okemena Sule, from east London, kicked off his ‘backpacking adventure’ in Bali in December and arrived in Thailand in January.
He was injured in a ‘horrific’ motorbike crash on the Thai island of Koh Samui on February 2, and more than a month later he’s still in hospital receiving constant care.
His brother Ibs, who flew to Thailand as soon as it happened, has had to set up a GoFundMe page to pay the hospital bills as it’s not clear whether 31-year-old Okemena had travel insurance.
So far the family has raised just over £30,000 – but they have no idea how long Okemena will be in hospital and when he’ll be able to return home.
Ibs told the BBC: ‘I won’t be leaving my brother’s side because that’s my little brother and I’ll do everything in my power to know he’s got the support and to help bring him back home.
‘It’s just difficult to just sit there and watch and feel helpless.
‘The fact that we’re all the way on the other side of the world makes it difficult, especially for those loved ones who aren’t able to come out here and be able to give that support that’s needed.
‘Our next step is to raise as much funds as we can, so that we can repatriate him back home.’
Following the crash, Okemena has had surgery for a brain injury during which part of his skull was removed.
That part of his skull will need to be replaced with a titanium implant – but that procedure is yet to go ahead due to mounting costs.
In an update shared on February 17, the Sule family said they have paid 2.5million Baht (about £60,000) in hospital bills so far, with about £24,000 of that funded by donations.
Latest London news
- Map shows where traffic will be banned on Camden High Street
- Inside the London trauma clinic helping vulnerable women survive
- Warning to Londoners as TfL fare increase comes into effect on Sunday
To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro’s London news hub.
Though they believe he did, the family have struggled to confirm whether Okemena took out travel insurance before he set off on his trip, which Ibs says has made the situation much more complex.
So far the family has been quoted about £140,000 to repatriate Okemena back to the UK, which could potentially have been covered if they were able to access his insurance information.
Ibs explained: ‘We do believe that he may have had insurance but tracking it down is the difficult part and we’ve been unable to track it down – unlike your car insurance, where you could literally look on a database to see if you are insured or not.
‘When it comes to insuring yourself as a human being or a legal entity, it’s not as easy to find those details.
‘If we could locate his insurance, and if he did have his insurance, there would be a possibility that we would have been able to repatriate him quite a long time ago.’
The Sule family is urging anyone travelling abroad to share crucial information like travel insurance details with loved ones before setting off – especially if going solo.
Despite the grim situation, Ibs is still optimistic that his younger brother will return home.
‘My belief and my faith in God is what keeps me confident that we will bring him back and he will survive this,’ he said.
‘Please pray for my brother to survive this because the more people that pray, the more they will be answered.’
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) advice says: ‘You should buy appropriate travel insurance before you go, covering you for existing physical or mental health conditions (including those currently under investigation) and any activities you will be doing whilst you are away.
‘If you do not have appropriate insurance before you travel, you could be liable for emergency expenses, including medical treatment, which may cost thousands of pounds.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
