Pensioner 'held hostage' by hospital in Turkey over £49,000 coma bill released
dailyrecord.co.ukA British pensioner who fell ill on holiday and was 'held to ransom' by a Turkish hospital is back home after his family paid £25,000 to release him.
Malcolm Stocker, 68, was admitted to hospital in Marmaris with a bad case of an upset stomach two days before the end of a two week holiday in May.Doctors told his family he was suffering from pneumonia and put him into an induced coma with a medical ventilator for two weeks.
But once the former pub landlord had recovered the hospital refused to release him until the family had paid the first half of the £49,000 medical bill they claim he had racked up.They had no choice but to launch a fundraiser to help pay the 'extortionate' bill and seven weeks after being hospitalised Malcolm was finally discharged and declared well enough to travel.
His children had to hire a Turkish lawyer who negotiated with bosses at the Ahu Hospital and brought the bill down to £25,000.The appeal raised £17,000, with the family picking up the remainder of the bill.
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