Charlie Smith
A BRITISH war veteran has slammed Spanish paramedics after claiming he was forced to ‘keep himself alive’ for 23 hours after they refused to take him to hospital.
David Walter West, who served with the SAS in Afghanistan, says he was forced to lie in his own filth after falling out of bed at his home in Casares Costa.
The former lieutenant colonel from Hull, 73, was recovering from a knee operation and having two pins put in his femur when he smashed his head on the bed frame and passed out.
But when he woke up 12 hours later and called the emergency services, fire brigades and police turned up and simply put the father-of-one back to bed.
“I was worried I would die and I nearly did,” David told the Olive Press, “I was taking deep breaths, but my lung capacity was only about 10%, it was just about staying alive.”
But once paramedics arrived, they refused to take David to hospital, despite him telling them, ‘I can’t breathe’.
His health then rapidly deteriorated in the following week and the emergency services were called twice more.
After the third time, his friend Luisa began ‘begging’ officials at Sabinillas Health Centre to take him to hospital, but they still refused.
It was only when Luisa approached Casares Councillor Antonia Pineda that David was transferred to the Hospital Costa del Sol, where he remains to this day, some four months later.
“I personally called 061, introduced myself as a Councillor from the town hall of Casares, and requested that they send an ambulance with a medical unit so that they could attend
David, who was in very bad condition,” the politician told the Olive Press.
David added: “I’ve done 300 parachute jumps, been blown up twice and shot once.
“I’ve had medical treated in several countries, but there’s only Libya and Afghanistan that are worse than here.”
Despite repeated attempts, no one from the Casares or Manilva town halls were available to comment.
Residents between Manilva and Casares Costa have long complained of a lack of ambulances to deal with emergencies, with emergency vehicles often having to be borrowed from private companies or neighbouring Estepona.
