A TALE OF TWO TOWERS: An in-depth Olive Press probe into similarities between Valencia and London’s Grenfell disaster, see page 6
OLIVE PRESS
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OLI V INV E PRE EST SS IGA SPE TIO CIA N L
The
MALLORCA
Vol. 7 Issue 176 www.theolivepress.es March 8th - March 21st 2024
APPEAL
Nolotil campaign grows KILL THE
OVER 500 people DRUG have signed an Olive Press petition to keep tourists and expats safe from the deadly painkiller Nolotil. Our Kill the Drug campaign urges Spanish health professionals to agree to follow the 2018 directive banning the German-made drug for British, Scandinavian and Irish patients. Since launching on February 12, some 505 people have backed the campaign, with many adding comments. One supporter wrote: “Well done for tackling this problem. Too many lives have already been lost.” While Nolotil is now banned in 40 countries, it is still being regularly prescribed around Spain. Campaigner Christina del Campo of the Association for Drug Affected People (ADAF) claims her group has over 100 cases of British people dying from the drug. Others have had amputations ‘and worse’. “Something needs to be done about this as nobody’s taking notice. It’s excellent the campaign is growing,” she said. We now plan to contact local health facilities to urge them to comply with the official warning from Madrid that urges hospitals and clinics not to hand out the drug to foreigners. Please sign the petition by searching ‘Stop Nolotil deaths’ on Change.org.
CAN YOU HELP? We are looking for this happysnapping holidaymaker who lost her camera
DOUBLE TRAGEDY
Spanish authorities ‘must bring justice’ for British expat mum who died while giving birth at private hospital A BRITISH expat died while giving birth at a private Costa del Sol hospital after being refused a C-section, it has emerged. Kelsey Brown, 34, had been rushed to Ceram Hospital, in Marbella, on July 20, 2021, where a scan revealed her baby had died.
CHALLENGE ON! MALLORCA sailor Aina Bauza set out on Sunday in a bid to set a world record time on the trans-Atlantic route between Cadiz and San Salvador in the Bahamas. Bauza, 29, is doing the solo trip on her 6.5 metre-long sailboat Redo, after carrying out final preparations in Cadiz. The current record stands at 21 days, 11 hours, 18 minutes and 25 seconds.
See page 4
Bauza, from the Puerto de Andratx Sailing Club, has already had a long career in dinghy sailing and is now expanding to offshore and solo challenges. The World Saling Speed Record Council will verify whether she achieves her challenge within the regulations.
By Laurence Dollimore
Yet, despite the tragedy, the hairdresser from Liverpool was told she could not have a C-section or an epidural and would have to give birth naturally. While bleeding heavily and in ‘horrendous pain’, there was simply not enough blood on site for the procedure, a UK coroner’s court was told.
Blood
Incredibly, blood supplies did not arrive until more than five-and-ahalf hours later. A lack of blood likely led to her death. Andre Rebello, senior coroner for Liverpool, said: "Kelsey was advised she could not have a caesarean and she could not have an epidural, and would have to give birth naturally." She began delivering the baby at 1.30pm with doctors using forceps to deliver the boy, named Daniel, who was found with his umbilical cord wrapped around his chest, stopping him from feeding. A delivery of blood did not arrive until 6.45pm, but just half an hour later, at 7.15pm, Kelsey was
952 147 834
pronounced dead. Her mother, Maria Brown, told the BBC that she was a ‘loving mum’ to her surviving child, who was aged five when the tragedy occurred. The family are now demanding answers from the Spanish authorities, who did not provide crucial medical documents to the Liverpool coroner. Mr Rebello told the court this impeded his ability to properly investigate the death, forcing him to declare an open conclusion due to lack of evidence. “Hopefully the Spanish authorities will make efforts to bring justice to what occurred,” he said. “They should be looking to see if there were opportunities to do something meaningful for a different outcome." Mr Rebello previously told the court that the results of a post-mortem in Spain had been ‘withheld’, as had medical notes f r o m Ceram Hospital. According to
PAINFUL DEATH: For Kelsey and her baby
the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, there could be a long wait for the Spanish investigation to bear fruit. Kelsey’s mother insisted she was ‘very healthy’ and didn't drink or smoke. “Kelsey really looked after herself. She was a great daughter, a great sister and a great mum,” she said. Kelsey had moved with her husband to the Costa del Sol in 2019, with their toddler, who was five when she died. The family are not commenting further until the Spanish authorities have completed their investigation. Opinion Page 6
Tel: 952 147 834
See pages 5, 8 & 16
TM