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Canadian Famous Karate Trainer Can Go Back To His Home Country after Having Had His Passport Confiscated by the Hospital

According to Thmey Thmey News, a Canadian man was stuck in Cambodia as he doesn’t have enough money to pay for treatment fee for one of the hospitals in Phnom Penh. Now, he can go back to his country.

Mr. Marc Asselin, 74 years old had just received his passport back on 24 June 2016 after one of the hospitals in Phnom Penh confiscated his passport as he doesn’t have 20000 USD to pay for treatment feel. He had stayed in the hospital for 34 days since he experienced with stroke on 16 March and was brought to that hospital. The Canadian embassy in Thailand tried to settle down this issue but couldn’t until the payment has been made.

The mister of ministry of education and sport of Canada, Mr. Sebastien Proulx had donated some money to help bring Mr. Marc Asselin back to his home country.
Mr. Marc Asselin has been living in Cambodia since 2009. Within the last 40 years he has trained 500 black belt students and he had led the Karate association for 25 years.

So did they pay his hospital bill to get his passport back or screw the hospital and just by him a new passport? I assume and hope it is the former.

LTO wrote:So did they pay his hospital bill to get his passport back or screw the hospital and just by him a new passport? I assume and hope it is the former.

Fingers crossed......

Well, I decided to use this as an opportunity to brush up on my French from when I worked the vineyards. A few google searches and Facebook stalking revealed the following:

June 1st:
http://www.journaldequebec.com/2016/05/ ... u-cambodge

The guy is 74 and well-known in martial arts circles. Lived in Cambodia since 2009. On March 19th, he had a stroke. It took 13 days before he got medical help. Gives back ground about the guy: born in a family of 16, in 1966 he starts doing Karate and finds his path. Marc is now paralyzed on the right ride of his body, can barely speak and a prisoner of his body with permanent damage. After 34 days in the hospital, he couldn't pay the $20 000 owed (NOT $2000). Not able to get his passport back, he stayed in a refuge 100km out of Phnom Penh. The minister of education and sports donated $3000. He's taught Karate for 40 years and has formed over 500 black belts and had was the directer of a Karate Federation for 25 years. "We don't leave a member of the group behind. We're bringing him back" said Paul Ohl. Paul supposedly needed medical training before he could go get him (maybe one needs basic first aid to travel with a sick person?)

A different article on the same day.
http://www.journaldequebec.com/2016/06/ ... son-maitre

One guy (Steve Dorion) is basically saying he's going to get his master. He's been doing Karate for 31 years and when Marc would come back to Quebec, he stayed with him (Steve). In the past 24 hours, a lot of progress has been made to get the necessary funds. Friends, politicians, athletes and business men and women have donated money.

Latest.
http://www.lepetitjournal.com/cambodge/ ... denouement

After Marc had to leave the hospital, someone from the Canadian embassy in Bangkok was able to find a place for him to stay at "Home of Hope" orphanage outside of Phnom Penh. People were able to collect the necessary $20 000 to get his passport back.

The guy in his prime (and a humbling demonstration of how all our bodies grow old):


A farewell to Phnom Penh:


Arrival back home:


So it's quite amazing, but it appears family, friends and other random people helped raise the money needed. He didn't bail, they paid the hospital. A happy ending to an interesting story. Quite amazing that they managed to get that money. It's great that he had such a strong support system of friends, ex students, people in the sports community and so on.

CEOCambodiaNews wrote:

the young guy looks like jamies hipster brother and he has borrowed jamies favourite shirt.

Thirty four days in Calmette costs $20,000. That's more than $500 a day, what a fucking rip off. Porr Khmers and the health care system.

Actually, all foreigners at Calmette Hospital are given a private room and charged double the Cambodian price. So, it is slightly cheaper for locals. Considering the low level and quality
of care it is nonetheless disgraceful.

Its amazing to me they treated him at all without paying in advance. Anyhow, nice to read of a happy ending once in a while.

Still pisses me off that people travel w/o insurance and then when tragedy strikes the good will of responsible strangers (the kind that make sure to buy insurance so they are not a burden to friends and family) is called upon to fix things up.

RickyBobby wrote: ↑Sun Feb 03, 2019 5:53 am Its amazing to me they treated him at all without paying in advance. Anyhow, nice to read of a happy ending once in a while.

Still pisses me off that people travel w/o insurance and then when tragedy strikes the good will of responsible strangers (the kind that make sure to buy insurance so they are not a burden to friends and family) is called upon to fix things up.

Do you have any idea on how much they charge a 74 year old for in insurance .? That's why there are gamblers in this world taking risks to either win or lose, and if it only cost $20,000 ,,, then he is still a winner.

RickyBobby wrote: ↑Sun Feb 03, 2019 5:53 am Anyhow, nice to read of a happy ending once in a while.

You had to go back to a 2016 thread to find one?