An elderly tourist from the Philippines has returned home after spending a week in hospital recovering from a bad fall on an escalator in Central on Hong Kong Island.
Lolita Naval, a missionary, suffered a bad fall from an escalator at the International Finance Centre in Central on April 14, the day she arrived in Hong Kong, sunwebhk.com reported.
Naval said she was rushing at the time, tripped and fell. She was sent to Queen Mary Hospital where doctors inserted a steel plate inserted into her leg.
A photo of Naval in her hospital bed was posted online by concerned Filipinos, who noted she did not have any relatives in Hong Kong and needed help. One of those who responded to the online call for help contacted Hermogenes Cayabyab, an officer at the Philippine Consulate General, who relayed the information to Consul Paulo Saret.
Cayabyab said the hospital bill, which came to more than HK$90,000 (US$11,465), was waived, reportedly at the request of Consul Paulo Saret. Naval, who said she was a missionary, had not contacted any church before going to Hong Kong.
Naval was discharged from hospital after one week and was taken to a shelter arranged by the Consulate before she returned to the Philippines on April 21. The elderly woman was reportedly from Caloocan City.
You’re right kabayan, wala sa kontrata natin na pag nagbakasyon Ang amo freeze din ang sahod…malinaw na yun buong contract babayaran tayo dun even yang annual leave. If d magamitt may equivalent amount yan na dapat ibayad. Di na natin kasalanan yan kung mag bakasyon sila maiwan tayo or pauwiin, pero dapat buo pa rin talaga ang sahod natin jan. Kaloka mga amo ganyan.