Two Year Old Suffers Salmonella Food Poisoning At Luxury Turkish Hotel
27/04/2011
A British holidaymaker and former holiday rep has demanded answers from a leading tour operator after her two-year-old daughter developed salmonella poisoning at a resort in Turkey.
Michelle Edim, from Sheffield, travelled with her family to the Sheraton Voyager in Antalya, Turkey, where her daughter, Daisy, suffered from symptoms including diarrhoea, loss of appetite and nappy rash.
And Ms Edim, who herself worked for a tour operator, is demanding to know why Thomas Cook saw her fit to send her family to a hotel which she claimed had an “utter disregard for health and safety”; with food being left uncovered, served lukewarm and cats roaming around the dining area.
In its brochure, the tour operator describes the resort as having “a wealth of facilities within luxurious surroundings” and states that “with a brand like Sheraton behind you, you know you’re in the very best place,” but Ms Edim and daughter Daisy found the reality to be quite different.
Michelle said: “The holiday was a disaster and was particularly horrendous for poor Daisy. She suffered from diarrhoea, loss of appetite, and in turn nappy rash, for another month after we had got home. Salmonella is horrible enough for adults, let alone a little two-year-old girl who doesn’t really know why she is so ill.
“We took her to see our GP as soon as we got home, and after some tests he diagnosed her with salmonella. He also told us that given the time frame of her condition, it was extremely likely that the illness had been contracted at the Sheraton Voyager.”
Other hotel guests reported similar issues on the holiday review site TripAdvisor, with one family describing how they were struck down with a stomach bug for three days.
Specialist holiday illness solicitors from Irwin Mitchell are now supporting Ms Edim as she looks for answers from Thomas Cook.
Suki Chhokar, a travel law expert at Irwin Mitchell, said: “Holidaymakers have the right to know the hotels they are booking follow the basic standards of health and safety to prevent people from becoming ill.
“Ms Edim took her daughter to the Sheraton Voyager for a luxury holiday, but ended up seeing her infant child suffer terribly with a very serious illness. This is simply unacceptable.
“While nothing will ever be able to make up for the suffering young Daisy has endured, we hope Thomas Cook will work with us to resolve the matter on behalf of our client promptly and amicably.
“As a former tour representative, Ms Edim knows exactly what basic health and safety guidelines should be in place to prevent illnesses such as salmonella occurring. It is imperative that these guidelines are upheld to prevent any similar cases.”
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