A FAMILY faces a bill of around £20,000 - on top of a similar amount already spent on medical fees - to bring their sick father home from Mexico.

A row over travel insurance has left 72-year-old Colin Read, of Llanyrafon, Cwmbran, seriously ill in hospital in the resort of Cancun, turning his and wife Sandra's dream holiday into a nightmare.

Mr Read, a retired milkman, developed pneumonia and bronchitis shortly after the couple flew out on May 8. He has since been shuttled between hospitals while medical bills have mounted.

Mrs Read, aged 74, has paid hundreds of pounds in taxi fares to visit her husband, on occasion having to get some rest by lying across hospital chairs.

Son Andrew Read said his parents booked their holiday at a branch of Thomson in Cwmbran. His mother told him they were offered and accepted travel insurance, and were not asked to declare any pre-existing health problems. Colin Read suffers from high blood pressure.

Since he fell ill Axa, the insurance company with whom the couple's policy is lodged, has refused to pay out, stating in a letter that Mr Read's illness is related to a pre-existing medical condition which has not been declared, or for which cover is automatically excluded.

"My sister went to Cancun through the same branch of Thomson a couple of months ago and said she wasn't asked about pre-existing health conditions either, when she agreed to travel insurance," said Andrew Read.

"But that's an argument we'll have later. Right now, getting dad home is the most important thing."

Mrs Read has been told by doctors that her husband's current illness may have been picked up through air conditioning and aggravated by very high temperatures.

"After 24 hours in a local hospital they were told he needed to go to a bigger hospital, but were asked for $3,500 otherwise he wouldn't be transferred," said Andrew Read.

"My mum paid that because Axa had not replied, and when he arrived at the other hospital he went straight into intensive care.

"He was transferred back to a public hospital on Tuesday (May 17) because they couldn't afford it, but before they transferred him they wanted a bill of $27,000 paid."

The family managed to pay that bill, but Andrew Read said he has been told his father is now in a hospital that is "little better than a GP's waiting room."

His father is sedated and intubated, but the hospital has had to borrow equipment to treat him.

"My mum has started wheezing and getting a chest infection now. When dad was transferred to the bigger hospital she had to go back and forth by taxi and that was £200 each time. It was two hours from the hotel.

"He should still be in intensive care, but to get him home he needs a specialist medical team, and transfers to and from airports, and that could cost around £20,000."

A Thomson spokesman said: "We’re sorry to hear that Mr Read has been taken ill on his holiday in Mexico. We ask all our customers who choose to take insurance to declare any pre-existing medical conditions.

“It would be inappropriate for us to speculate on conversations Mr Read may have had with his insurance provider. AXA are in direct contact with Mr Read’s family and a member of our team is providing support in resort. We hope he gets well soon.”