79-Year-Old Tourist Seriously Injured in Bali Without Travel Insurance

A 79-year-old tourist, Estelle Ravenscroft, was seriously injured at a restaurant on the Indonesian island of Bali. She had no travel insurance on the trip, so her family is now raising money for her treatment, and the case is a reminder of why such cover matters. The incident was reported by the British newspaper the Daily Mail.

The fall

Mrs Ravenscroft was having lunch with her husband Keith. She has osteoporosis. She used the restaurant's women's toilet, slipped and fell into an open stairwell, landing on the steps below. At the hospital, doctors found six serious fractures in her thighs, three in each leg.

Complications during treatment

Doctors gave an opioid injection to ease the pain, but she had a serious reaction to the drug. According to her daughter, Leonie Walsh, her vital signs deteriorated rapidly and she began convulsing. "We were close to losing her," she said. The reaction caused swelling of her throat and tongue, leaving her unable to swallow, speak or communicate.

Medics had to straighten the bones in both legs by hand without painkillers. She then underwent a nine-hour emergency operation and two blood transfusions because of significant blood loss. She is now awake but still too weak to sit up.

Costs and insurance

The couple had no travel insurance, although they had bought it for earlier trips to Bali. The family says the premiums were unaffordable because of her age and existing health problems. They have set up a GoFundMe fundraiser to help cover the costs. Ms Walsh says the cost of such surgery and ongoing treatment is huge, and she thanked strangers online for their support.

Craig Fyfe, owner of the company Your Travel Expert, said the case highlighted the importance of adequate travel insurance before going abroad. "If they can't afford insurance, they can't afford to travel," he said. Some Asian countries now require visitors to hold travel insurance.