Sick Korean Tourists Held Back As Several Readmitted For Treatment
By Malai Hassan Othman & June Ong

Bandar Seri Begawan - Twenty-six of the 30-odd Korean tourists who were taken ill after a short trip to Temburong were asked not to leave the country after they were found to be unfit in making the long journey home. The drama of sorts unfolded at the airport as some were about to board their plane for South Korea.

Some of them were readmitted to the RIPAS Hospital for further investigation and later allowed to return to their hotel rooms at the Empire Hotel. At press-time, some had left the country, while some remain at the Empire Hotel and some others still recovering in RIPAS.

When asked for the diagnosis, a hospital staff said only that it was certainly something that the tourists had consumed and said the tourists could be well enough to be discharged in a few days.

A tourist guide and a tourist confirmed that it was probably what they had eaten after climbing down from the canopy walk-way at Kuala Belalong, Temburong. Those who did not go there were not taken ill, added a Korean tourist.

Earlier yesterday morning, all the affected Korean tourists were discharged from the hospital after their tour leader allegedly insisted that the group must return to Seoul as scheduled yesterday though the hospital had yet to give them a clean bill of health.

The health authorities have yet to ascertain the real cause of their illness.

It was learnt that the doctors and hospital staff treating the Korean patients failed to persuade the affected Korean tourists to stay on until treatment and investigation had been completed.

All of them were subsequently discharged after they allegedly agreed to sign an official form to indicate their consent to be discharged from hospital and to absolve RIPAS of any further responsibility.

The Bulletin was told that most of them have recovered from their illness except for some including a child who was said to be still weak.

It was learned that the affected Korean tourists were then already at the airport and were about to board the aircraft when some officials intervened and convinced them to stay back for their own good.

The 30 or so Korean tourists were admitted to the Casualty Unit of the RIPAS Hospital on Tuesday morning after they complained of headaches, vomiting and diarrhoea on their return to the capital after a day trip to Temburong on Monday.

Brudirect.com