MALTA (19 Sep 2003) -- A diver from Staffordshire who was left paralyzed from the waist down after a scuba diving accident has been stranded in Malta because a hospital bed could not be found for him in the UK. Paul Rhodes, aged 35, from Hednesford, was injured during a diving holiday ago two weeks ago and has been in hospital on the island ever since. Maltese authorities will not release him until he is guaranteed a bed somewhere in the UK. Bosses at the Midland Centre for Spinal Injuries in Oswestry, Shropshire, are now believed to have a bed available and are holding it for Mr Rhodes. But his friend Gavin Broome, who helped organised the trip, said other offers had fallen through and he was still very worried. "I won't believe it until he is back in this country getting the treatment he needs and deserves," he said. "This is a man who has paid taxes all his life and now he needs help it is not there for him. "The Maltese hospital has been absolutely fantastic, I can't praise them enough. "But it is time for him to come home to be around his family and people who speak his language. "The organisation at this end of things through the NHS has been a disgrace." | | Mr Rhodes' family have been out to Malta to visit him, a trip paid for by his insurance. Mr Broome, of Rugeley, said the accident had happened two weeks ago on the first dive of the trip, which involved a party of six people from the Chase area. They had been down 37 metres to view a wrecked tug-boat named Rosie and then ascended to 18 metres to look at a statue named Madonna. The dive went well and it was only when they were back on the surface they noticed Paul was in trouble. He was dragged out of the water and rushed to hospital. "We really don't know what happened, whether there was an accident or if everything is caused by him taking in water," said Mr Broome. A bed was found at a hospital in Nottingham but that fell through because of emergencies. Staffordshire General Hospital could not accept a patient if they weren't due to undergo an operation, said Mr Broome. Peter Jamieson, spokesman for the Oswestry spinal unit, said a bed was definitely available and now it had been offered it would be held for Mr Rhodes. SOURCE - Express & Star |
