A PARAMEDIC who featured on BBC1 hit show ‘Ambulance’ was allegedly hospitalised after her ‘disgusting’ TUI holiday.
Maya Black, 35, a paramedic from Edgbaston, Birmingham, claims she was left ill with crippling stomach pains and sickness for over a year after her trip to Mexico.
Maya – who was followed by TV cameras during filming of the BAFTA winning TV show – said her room was full of tiny bugs and she was forced to sleep on a urine stained mattress for days after complaining to her rep.
In addition she claims she was repeatedly served meat despite telling hotel staff she was a vegetarian.
She says despite complaining every day she was unable to change rooms and eventually became sick and had to be rushed by ambulance to hospital.
Even though the sickness bug Cyclsopora was prevalent in her resort and there was a Public Health England outbreak warning about sickness when she booked her holiday in a TUI store, she was given no health warnings.
She claims the only time the reps took any interest in her was after she got back from hospital and they tried to offer her a dolphin trip and get her to sign a form saying she wouldn’t take any legal action in the future.
Now the West Midlands Ambulance Service worker says she has been left with a dodgy tummy and IBS and along with 400 other holidaymakers is taking legal action against TUI for failing to warn her of the bug.
Maya said: “It was horrific from start to finish, my worst holiday ever.
“The hotel claimed to be five star but I stayed in Thailand during voluntary work and that was better.
“The room smelt disgusting and the balcony and room was covered in bugs and our mattress was soaked in urine.
“My job is very stressful and I went on holiday to spend time time with my son who is autistic and to de-stress. But it was a holiday from hell and I ended up in hospital.
“The hotel grounds stank of animal urine and faeces it was everywhere-the room was horrible and smelly and outdated.
“But the reps wouldn’t let me change and they were horrible throughout.
“The hygiene control was useless and I never saw the pool get cleaned.
“I trusted TUI and they put me in harms way from the start-they knew they had a problem and recommended me to go there anyway with no warning. It’s outrageous.
“I paid for the food that made me ill.
“I felt hopeless and stuck over there on my own. I was really worried if something happened to me over there who would have looked after my son as I knew TUI didn’t care.
Maya took her son away for a badly needed 10-night break to the Grand Sirenis Resort & Spa hotel in Riveria Maya.
Soon after arriving on her £3,500 luxury holiday she was left disappointed when she saw the state of her room.
She claims there a strong smell of urine and that the room was dirty and some furniture was broken and there was an infestation of bugs.
She said that food would often be covered in flies by the pool and also meat and veg was uncovered and chefs would not use gloves and used the same utensils for handling cooked and uncooked meat.
She said she also drank virgin non alcoholic Mojitos and ate salads and deserts while sat by the pool but was plagued by raccoon like animals called Coatis who would steal food or drinks.
She added: “I have a very stressful job and I badly needed to getaway and I was hoping for a relaxing time and some rest.
“I opened all the doors and windows but the smell was really horrible, but the rep didn’t think so and wouldn’t let us move room.
“I am vegetarian so I only eat veg, salads and fruit but it was never covered up.
“Also if I did order something vegetarian they kept serving me food with meat with it.
“I complained to the reps but it made no difference.”
Four days into the holiday Maya fell seriously sick with severe stomach cramps, nausea and headache, tiredness and shivering.
Being a paramedic she had packed an emergency medication kit and knew just how to treat herself.
She then returned to the reps who referred her to an onsite doctor and after seeing him, was rushed by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where she was admitted and put on a drip with fluids and anti-sickness medication.
She added: “I felt clammy and dizzy and I knew I had to get fluids into myself and to keep hydrated so I followed all the advice I give to my patients.
“But as I had severe sickness and diarrhoea and no energy my son was stuck in the room with me.
Cyclospora is an infection caused by a tiny parasite.
It can be caught from eating raw fruit and vegetables contaminated with human poo.
Diarrhoea is the most common symptom, as well as:
– loss of appetite
– weight loss
– stomach cramps
– bloating
– increased gas
– tiredness
– nausea
Most cases reported to the NHS involve travellers who have been to:
– the Caribbean
– Central and South America
– Turkey
– the Indian subcontinent
– the Far East
After she returned to the hotel the following day she claims she again complained to the reps. But she says instead of apologising they offered her a dolphin trip with a disclaimer form that said she wouldn’t take legal action in the future.
Once back in the hotel after complaining to head office back in the UK about her treatment by the reps, an apology note was placed under her door.
For the past year she has continued to suffer severe stomach cramps and nausea and has had to take daily anti-sickness and cramp medications and pain relief.
She now must avoid certain foods which she used to enjoy before her TUI holiday due to the sensitivity of her stomach and has also got IBS.
Now she has joined a group action of over 400 other victims who are suing TUI over their illness after the firm failed to pass on warnings about the sickness bug.
Travel lawyer Simon Lomax of Simpson Millar solicitors – whose firm is handling Maya’s claim along with hundreds of others – said: “Maya has endured a horrific ordeal and has been left with ongoing symptoms. TUI knew there was a recurring illness in this resort and it appears they decided to put profit before the safety of its customers.
“Tour operators need to do much more to protect its customers while they are abroad.”
A TUI UK spokesperson said: “We’re sorry to hear of Ms Black’s experience. As this matter is now subject to legal proceedings it would be inappropriate to comment at this time.
“We’d like to reassure customers that we regularly audit all of the hotels we feature in respect of health and safety, including hygiene.”
Another Tui guest, Rebecca Jane Bass, has also faced sickness and symptoms a year after her holiday to Mexico.
She has since been referred to a hospitals’ specialised topical medicine unit.
Sun Online Travel has contacted the hotel for additional comment.
