'I was rushed to hospital with Bali belly and couldn't believe the cost'
An Aussie tourist was slapped with an enormous medical bill after suffering a case of "Bali belly". The man, who was not identified but from Perth in Australia, had travelled to the Indonesia's Gili Islands when he started experiencing painful diarrhoea.
After seeking help from an Indonesian doctor, he was left outraged after the GP charged him a whopping 6.75million Rupiah, which equates to around AUD$700 (£367). "Bali Belly", like "Delhi Belly" and "Beirut Belly" are nicknames given to tummy troubles that travellers face when they visit places where food is often tainted with bacteria.
Travellers diarrhoea is often caused by bacteria-tainted water and food, but can also be triggered by gastro viruses like Rotavirus or Noravirus. The man uploaded a photo of his medical bill to a Facebook group for travellers to Bali, which remains a widely popular holiday destination for Aussies, according to yahoo!news.
A receipt from a local medical clinic shows a doctor's charge of roughly $50, while medicine cost another $100. Injections cost the man $172 and around $350 was for further treatment. The man said that he had travel insurance and would be making a claim when he returned to home soil, but questioned if he'd been charged too much.
'This is a LOT more than I expected,' the man commented, before asking what other people had paid for similar medical treatment.
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People took to the comments to share details about how much they had been charged for similar experiences, with prices greatly varying. 'Cost me $520 to get the doctor,' one person said. 'I spent $400,' another revealed.
However most agreed that the man had been charged an unreasonable amount and concluded the treatment should cost around $150. Some also advised Bali travellers to pack relevant medications with them before setting off overseas.
According to government website Better Health, traveller's diarrhoea can be caused by micro-organisms including bacteria, parasites and viruses. It is more common in young adults than older adults, likely because younger people tend to choose more adventurous destinations and travel styles, like backpacking.
Some high-risk foods that holiday makers should avoid include raw fruits and vegetables, green leafy vegetables, raw and undercooked meats and seafood. Water contaminated with infected faeces is another common cause.
Currently there are no vaccines that can reliably prevent the illness and the the best defence remains prevention. Treatment which aims to ease some of the symptoms includes drinking plenty of water, antibiotics to kill a bacterial infection and anti-nausea drugs
In most cases, traveller's diarrhoea is self-limiting and tends to clear up in around four days.
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