Kit Mallinson, 19, from Dorset, died from pneumonia while during a trip to Cambodia
A British student died from pneumonia while travelling through Cambodia because bumbling local medics failed to check if he had medical insurance.
Kit Mallinson, 18, from Bridport in Dorset, had been enjoying a gap year in the Far Eastern country, having already spent seven weeks as a Raleigh International volunteer in Borneo.
He was discovered unresponsive during a night bus journey from Sihanoukville in the south, to Siem Reap, the home of the famous Angkor Wat ruins, a Bournemouth inquest heard.
His parents, Serena and Guy Mallinson, told the hearing that the bus company called for a private ambulance, but the crew refused to take Mr Mallinson because they did not have his insurance documents, despite them being in his rucksack.
Instead the teenager was taken to a public hospital, which his parents said did not have the appropriate equipment or medication for his pneumonia.
The British Embassy was not notified until the evening of the next day, which then informed Mr Mallinson’s family.
The couple immediately 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, the inquest heard.
Mrs Mallinson said: ‘For reasons we do not understand, the embassy was not contacted for two days.’
Mr Mallinson said: ‘When I asked the policeman why, he said he told his boss and he shrugged his shoulders, he couldn’t care less.’
Mr Mallinson was discovered unresponsive during a night bus journey from Sihanoukville in the south, to Siem Reap a Bournemouth inquest heard
He added that legal documents sent from the Cambodian authorities were full of inaccuracies and said they were a ‘cover-up’ for their failures.
Coroner Rachael Griffin said that Mr Mallinson had complained of 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 taken for the long bus journey, which taken together could have worsened his chest infection.
She said that a post mortem determined he died as a result of respiratory failure caused by acute respiratory distress syndrome and bronchopneumonia with toxicity from the medication as a contributory factor.
Recording a narrative conclusion, Ms Griffin said: ‘On the balance of probabilities, the delay in his medical treatment was contributory to his death.’
Mr Mallinson with friends while volunteering at the Raleigh International Trust in Borneo
She added: ‘If anything good can come from Kit’s death, it’s a warning of the use of medication, such as the use of sleeping tablets if they are travelling long distances, as I do not think the potential consequences are fully recognised.’
Fighting back tears, Mrs Mallinson said: ‘He was the most gorgeous boy, he was just adored by us all, he was kind, had a fantastic sense of humour, he was just a beautiful, beautiful boy.
‘He was meant to be having the adventure of a lifetime, he was meant to be home by Christmas, we are all completely devastated.
‘He would be so devastated by this because he was very excited about the next stage of his life and he should be at university now.
‘I feel he was let down so very, very badly by the Cambodian authorities and it’s incredibly hard not to be able to hold them accountable in any way.
‘If they had done their job properly Kit would still be alive.’