British couple being given specialist care: family ~ Make My Trip Advisor

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Sabtu, 06 Oktober 2007

British couple being given specialist care: family

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| DATE: 2007-10-06 |HNS

MALE, October 6, 2007 (Haveeru News Service) -- The British couple who were injured during the Sultan Park bombing are now safely back in England and are being receiving the specialist care they require “in order to give them the very best chance of making a speedy and full recovery,” family members said in a statement that was released on Thursday.

“Their families are not prepared nor are they in a position to comment on the motives behind the attack and are not about to speculate,” the statement read.

“We have received the complete assurance of the Maldivian Government that they will hunt down the perpetrators of this mindless act and bring them to justice, and we have every confidence that they will do so.”

The families of Christian and Jenny Donelan thanked a considerable number of people in connection to the care that was provided to the couple and especially thanked the Maldivian Government for its “unwavering support during this extremely difficult time and for making a very substantial and extremely generous contribution towards the air-medical evacuation costs.”

In the statement, the families said that they will raise certain issues with the British government regarding its policy on emergency medical evacuation of British citizens from a foreign location.

“The British Government have consistently refused to contribute any money towards the air medical evacuation costs which are in excess of US$210,000 (GBP106,430). When British citizens are seriously injured in a terrorist attack in a benign country, we believe the Government has a duty to support their evacuation to the UK where they can receive the medical attention they need. We will be approaching our Member of Parliament in order for this complete disregard for the well-being of British Citizens to be questioned in The House of Commons,” the statement read.

The families also clarified certain issues, and said that the air medical evacuation was not arranged by the British Government but was arranged and coordinated by family members who worked tirelessly to ensure that Christian and Jenny flew home as quickly as possible.

“Furthermore, the British High Commission has accepted the credit for arranging their specialist care back in the UK, once again we would like to clarify this and point out that they did not,” the statement said, adding “This was in fact coordinated by a friend of the family who is a medical professional in the Middle East and who contacted the UK hospital and arranged the allocation of the beds. Once International SOS were onboard they took over this coordinating role.”

The families also called on members of the public to be cautious and aware about their travel procedures. “Both families would like to draw everyone’s attention to the important of reading the small print in your travel insurance policies -- don’t be caught out like Christian and Jenny were,” the statement said.