Compiled by EMALIN ZALANI, C. ARUNO and R. ARAVINTHAN
A Malaysian woman who contracted the flu in Japan while on holiday insisted on returning home for treatment after finding out that just a day in hospital there could cost up to RM15,000, China Press reported.
Qin Yu Fen, who was immediately admitted into intensive care once she returned here, said she was lucky to be alive.
Qin, who was on a family holiday in Hokkaido on Jan 4, said she suffered from sudden breathing difficulties on her third day there.
She visited over 10 pharmacies but all told her that she was allowed to get an inhaler only after visiting a hospital.
After being admitted to hospital, Qin was shocked to find out that she was required to pay RM15,000 in cash for a night despite having bought travel insurance.
She then decided to get back to Malaysia and seek treatment.
“I told the hospital that I did not have enough cash. The hospital then told me to sign a waiver form to indicate that they will not be held responsible after discharging me,” she said.
At the hospital in Malaysia, Qin was found to have low blood concentration levels and was immediately admitted to the ICU, where she spent four nights before being discharged.
When she made an insurance claim for her treatment, Qin was shocked to find out in the medical report that her flu symptoms matched that of Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu, who died due to the flu.
“All of my symptoms were the same as hers. That is why I feel fortunate (to have returned alive),” she said.
Hsu, 48, died of pneumonia on Feb 2 after contracting the flu during a vacation in Japan for Chinese New Year with husband Kee Jun-yup.
She died just short of a week of her third wedding anniversary which would have taken place tomorrow.
The daily also reported that China actor Liang Yougcheng was the second celebrity known to have succumbed to the flu after the passing of Hsu.
The 27-year-old, best known for his role in period drama Echo of Her Voice, fell ill just before Chinese New Year.
The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.
