Holidaymaker is hospitalised by severe illness in Sri Lanka

Rebecca Lindsay, 30, travelled to Abu Dhabi in October 2015 with her husband for four days before flying to Sri Lanka.

Mrs Lindsay arrived at the Club Dolphin Hotel in Waikkal, Sri Lanka on a Monday evening. By Wednesday morning she had developed a painful stomach ache with sickness and diarrhoea.

Over the next seven days, Mrs Lindsay remained in her hotel room in crippling pain and the hotel’s on-call doctor attended to her three times before she was eventually taken to hospital a week later when her symptoms showed no sign of improving.

Doctors at hospital immediately prescribed Mrs Lindsay with fluids and she was kept under observation for a further eight days, causing her to miss her scheduled flight home.

The medical staff at the hospital allowed her to fly back home on the condition that she was immediately admitted to hospital once in the UK. She was in hospital for two more days before she was discharged, and had to take three weeks off work to recover.

Medical tests did not confirm food poisoning, however it is believed that other guests were admitted to hospital and tested positive for E.coli.

Following the illness, Mrs Lindsay contacted holiday injury experts Thompsons Solicitors to investigate a claim on her behalf.

Mrs Lindsay said: “I didn’t leave my hotel room for the entire duration of my holiday except to go to the hospital. My husband spoke to a holiday rep who said that they’d heard 30 holiday makers were also suffering the same sickness.

“When I was discharged from hospital I was put on light duties and shorter hours for a number of weeks as I was not fit to return fully. It took over three months until I felt I was back to myself. Thompsons has been great in supporting me throughout but it’s important that we find out exactly where this illness came from and help others who went through the same thing.”

Laura Morris, an expert holiday injury lawyer at Thompsons Solicitors said: “Hotels in the UK and abroad have a duty of care to their guests, and Mrs Lindsay had her time on holiday ruined.

“My client has endured a terrible gastric illness that has had a long-term impact on her health and her ability to work, and we’re working to find out exactly what caused this. Any other guests at the hotel should get in touch immediately as they may have vital information and also potentially a case for damages.”

Anyone who stayed at the Club Dolphin Hotel in Waikkal, Sri Lanka during October 2015 should contact Laura Morris of Thompsons Solicitors on 0161 819 3563 or email [email protected].

The LBO contacted the Club Dolphin Hotel but they have not yet responded.