64-Year-Old Woman Stuck in Indonesian Hospital for Nine Days After Fall on Cruise Ship
A 64-year-old woman from Virginia found herself stranded in an Indonesian hospital for nine days after sustaining fractures to her hip and elbow from a fall on a cruise ship. The incident occurred while she was on board the Carnival Cruise ship Luminosa, which determined that she needed surgical intervention beyond their capacity. The ship’s staff conducted X-rays and concluded that the injuries were severe.
Denise Hammond, the woman involved, was then transferred to the Siloam Hospital in Manado, Indonesia. However, her nightmare was far from over. It became apparent that the hospital was unequipped to treat her injuries. Her daughter, Rachel Matthews, expressed disappointment that her mother’s long-awaited cruise had been cut short. The cruise was meant to last a month, featuring stops at various ports in Asia and the Pacific before ending in Australia. Before the accident, Hammond had already visited six ports in Japan.
The conditions at the Indonesian hospital were described as atrocious in terms of cleanliness, nothing like what one would expect in an American hospital. To add to the distress, the hospital did not have the necessary equipment to treat Hammond’s fractured bones. Matthews recounted how a doctor forcefully tried to get Hammond to walk on her leg, and the medical staff did not conduct any scans or blood tests or provide appropriate care.
Hammond’s family, in their desperate attempts to get her the necessary medical care, began working with the U.S. embassy and transport companies to arrange her transfer to a hospital that could treat her injuries. However, the closest suitable hospital was nearly 4,000 miles away in Bangkok, Thailand. The cost of transportation alone was a staggering $60,000, and the hospital required a $40,000 down payment. These expenses did not even cover the entire procedure, leaving the family in a state of desperation.
Thankfully, national news coverage of Hammond’s plight led to her insurance company assisting with transportation costs. She was eventually transported to the Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital for an initial evaluation. However, Hammond’s medical expenses are expected to exceed her insurance cap, and her family will also have to cover the costs associated with being stranded in a foreign country.
The family has created a GoFundMe page to help cover the expenses, and it has already raised nearly $30,000. In an update, Matthews expressed concern over the potential long-term damage caused by the delayed medical treatment and requested prayers for minimal damage. As for Hammond’s future travel plans, she is unsure if she will continue traveling as she has before.
Carnival Cruise has been in regular contact with Hammond and her family and expressed its satisfaction that she is nearing her trip back home. The exact outcome of Hammond’s injuries and recovery will only be known after further evaluation. This incident highlights the importance of being prepared for medical emergencies while traveling and having insurance coverage that adequately addresses such situations.
In an ideal world, no one should have to endure a prolonged and terrifying experience like Hammond’s in a foreign country. The hope is that her story will encourage more proactive measures to ensure the safety and well-being of travelers in similar situations.
