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British backpacker died in Cambodia after medics refused immediate treatment
The parents of an 18-year-old British backpacker who died of pneumonia in Cambodia have accused local authorities of trying to cover up his death because they failed to save his life.
Gap year student Kit Mallison was found unconscious on a bus he had taken from Sihanoukville in the south of Cambodia to Siem Reap, home of the famous Ankor Wat ruins.
However, an inquest heard that ambulance crew didn’t treat him immediately because they couldn’t find his insurance documents, which were in his bag.
His parents Serena and Guy Mallinson told the inquest in Bournemouth that their son was instead taken to a public hospital, which they claimed lacked the necessary equipment and medication to treat his pneumonia.
The inquest also heard that the authorities didn’t inform the British Embassy until the following evening. The embassy then informed Mr Mallinson’s parents, who arranged for him to be transferred to the private Royal Angkor International Hospital where he died six hours later in the early hours of December 14
Mr Mallison told the hearing that legal documents sent from the Cambodian authorities were full of inaccuracies and claimed they were a ‘cover-up’ for their failures.
Coroner Rachael Griffin said that Mr Mallinson, from Bridport in Dorset,had been suffering from a chesty cough in the days before his death.
She said toxicology tests carried out in the UK showed he had taken both codeine and benzodiazepine sleeping pills, probably for the long bus journey.
Taken together, the two drugs could have made his chest infection worse, the coroner added.
Recording a narrative conclusion, Ms Griffin said: "On the balance of probabilities, the delay in his medical treatment was contributory to his death."
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Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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