Crime
Thai Hospital has Kiwi Sean Kenzie under Armed Guard
Chiangrai Times – The friends and family of Sean Kenzie who is under armed guard in a Thai hospital are scrambling to get the money together, and it is estimated by the time the ordeal is over, more than $43,000 will be needed. A Phuket hospital has ordered an armed guard for Sean Kenzie, 27, who is in a serious condition after being knocked off his moped nearly two weeks ago.
Kenzie’s mother, Nadine Mouritsen, said he had two punctured lungs both of which had collapsed, a ruptured kidney and broken limbs.
His jaw was also broken and while that was operated on immediately when he was taken to hospital, more surgery was needed to put it back in place.
The hospital was refusing to carry out further surgery until its first $16,000 bill was paid, but Kenzie required it urgently before his jaw set in its current position.
The guard was in position so he couldn’t escape without paying, Mouritsen said.
He said a taxi driver had knocked him off his scooter, but although police attended a report was never written.
His mother said Kenzie sought full cover for travel and medical insurance before he left, and was under the impression that was what he was paying for.
But since the accident he had been told his cover with travel insurer Covermore did not extend to riding scooters or mopeds.
She said the care had been largely okay, but there were one or two incidents which were worrying.
“There was an instance where he wasn’t getting any of the medication he needs, and that was when we called Foreign Affairs and they must have helped because that night he was given his medication.”
Foreign Affairs has confirmed it was giving “consular support and advice” to a New Zealand man in a Thai hospital.
Mouritsen herself is unwell, battling stage three liver cancer. She said it had been a “stressful” time, not knowing how her son was doing.
MFAT spokeswoman Sandra Ford said the ministry had been providing consular support to a New Zealand man in a hospital in Thailand from their embassy in Bangkok.
A special bank account under his mother’s name had been set up, after a number of people in their Napier community wanted to donate to his medical care.
Insurance company Covermore has so far been unable to be reached.
* Account details: Nadine Mouritsen, ANZ, 11-6401-0087968-47
