Hartlepool man stranded in Turkey told he must pay £32,000 to be released from hospital

Michael Henderson, 63, was rushed into a Turkish hospital earlier this month and told he needed a triple heart by-pass.

Michael’s daughter, Gail Taylor, said: “He was rushed into a private hospital with one heart valve open and one failing.

"We were told if it had been another 12 hours, he would not have made it.”

She continued: “They thought he had a leg infection at the beginning so they took him to one hospital and they said they did not think it was that so did some tests and they confirmed he had had a heart attack but he had since deteriorated and gone downhill.”

Michael, a former worker at Hartlepool’s power station, was told by doctors at the hospital that they were “too full” to care for him and transferred him to a private hospital in Idan.

Forty-one-year-old Gail, owner of Beautiful Bakes by Gail, in York Road, Hartlepool, said her mum, Linda Henderson, was told to sign a form to authorise his treatment at the hospital and that “if she did not, he would die”.

Michael, a keen footballer who had no previous medical conditions, was released from intensive care on Monday but still requires a leg operation and may not be fit enough to fly home for six months.

Michael’s family have contacted the British Embassy and their insurance company but have been told they must pay the hospital fees before any money can be compensated.

Donations can be made at https://www.gofundme.com/f/micheal-get-better?.