Hi noelphobic,

Glad to hear that you have located your son, but sorry to hear that he's in hospital.

According to the Bourgas Municipality website, there are 13 Polyclinics & hospitals in the city, but no contact details for any.

I suspect that your best bet would be to contact Balkan Holidays Sunny Beach office (the number of which I have just received), as they should know where he has been admitted and you are more likely to talk to someone with knowledge of English - Tel: (00359) 554 25958.

Hope this helps.

Baldur

Hi Baldur

I got a number from directory enquiries last night and tried it a couple of times but the person answering the phone didn't speak English. Obviously I could not therefore be sure that it was the right hospital. I was just told that it was 'Bourgas Hospital' so not sure if that is right or not. However, he should have been discharged by now so am just waiting to hear.

Hi Noelphobic

So glad to hear you have managed to get in touch. Hope your son is ok now.

Liz

He should have been discharged 3 hours ago but I have heard nothing and cannot get through to anyone to find out. I have texted his brother about an hour ago, I've phoned the hospital but can't be sure it is the right one as the people who answer the phone don't speak English and I can't get through to the rep in the resort. I am at the end of my tether.

Hi,

Sorry to hear about your son,

Your best bet is to get hold of balkan holidays ( sunny beach office)
and they may get hold of the hospital, ( many reps speak bulgarian)

let me know how it goes.

brad

Hi,

Keep rying to get hold of balkan hols in sunny beach.

do you get to speak to someone when you phone them.?

yours,
brad

Hi,

Really sorry to hear about your son, what happend to him?

Hi there. I have never managed to get through to anyone at all in Sunny Beach. However the good news is that he has just phoned me now from the hotel and hasn't been back long but sounds fine, touch wood. It sounds as though the hospital kept him in longer than was necessary and did a lot of unecessary tests, obviously knowing that the insurance would pay. From what I've heard they also talked a lot of rubbish about his condition (diabetes) and the advice they gave was rubbish. He's only had the condition for just over a year and he knew it was rubbish. I won't be happy until he's home but I feel better for having spoken to him. He also said that the hospitals weren't as clean as ours - doesn't bear thinking about does it!!!

Hi,

Im glad hes OK!

I also heard bulgarian hotels were cleaner thn ours!

Yours,
brad121

Oh Noelphobic I'm so pleased for you. I hope you can relax now. You hopefully gave them an earfull for all the worry they caused by not staying in touch. Bet you can't wait to get him home now.

Liz

Noelphobic, your description of the uneccesary tests given to your son sounds just like my experience at the poly clinic in Golden Sands last week.
I slipped a disk in my back and was given 2 different drips, an anelgesic (morphine I think) and an x-ray which my doctor at home just laughed at and said it was the worst x-ray he'd ever seen as you couldn't see a thing on it.
We read on our health department website that treament in the Polyclinics should be free if we had a pssport and NH card but the doctors were having none of it and even drove me to the hotel to get the money out of my safe, £150 in all (about the average months salary in Bulgaria).

However what ever they did worked as the pain went and I could enjoy the rest of my Holiday, but I do feel a little like I was the English cash cow. No doubt I've contributed to some new hospital equipment because boy do they need it, it was like being in some timewarp museum!

CB

Hi CB

I'm glad to hear that you are feeling better, despite your treatment. I do get the impression that they see £ signs when they see tourists coming in! Bit extreme to be driven to the atm though, that's what dodgy builders do over here! Are you able to claim the costs back on your insurance?

I hope so, but I think we have a £75 excess.
The hospital in GS did give me a written breakdown of treatment and costs which was stamped and signed so that should be enogh for a claim.

Did they give you anything for your doctor other than the rubbish x-ray? It's just that I would ideally like to know what my son's blood sugar levels and insulin dosages were. He normally does all this himself but they wouldn't let him even when he was better. I know someone who could translate from Bulgarian, could have done with them sitting by me when I was making fruitless phone calls!

Not really just the form with a list of treatments and the cost.
I must admit, although i wasn't worried it was a little disconcerting not being able to read what was being pumped into me.

I have just spoken to my son and his blood sugar levels are now dangerously HIGH because the hospital reduced his insulin dosage by half which was a very stupid and dangerous thing for them to do. I just hope he manages to bring his levels down to a safer level and gets home tomorrow without incident. It is so frustrating being so far away and it is impossible to get through to the hotel and if I get through to his mobile it costs HIM £1.50 a minute. I will be so relieved when he is home. I would also advise anyone going to the area with diabetes to keep a very careful eye on themselves because the hospital is obviously not competent to deal with it.

It must be so frustrating for you. Look after yourself - if only we could help!

Hi Fiona, you have all helped, I'm sure things would have been even worse if I hadn't been able to ask questions on here. I must have the most postings ever of someone who hasn't been on boliday and isn't planning to! Although I feel like I certainly could do with one!

The members here have been great haven't they? Keep posting here- I'm looking forward to your son posting here!