A Gurkha awarded the highest military award for gallantry in the face of the enemy was at the forefront of a demonstration today to promote the rights of more than 2,000 of the soldiers to stay in Britain.
Tul Bahadur Pun VC, 87, a Second World War veteran who is now in a wheelchair, delivered a boardful of medals, including an MBE, to Downing Street in protest over the treatment of Gurkha soldiers.
A London hospital refused to treat him for his heart condition, claiming he owed thousands of pounds in unpaid medical bills.
Disgust: Gurkha Regimental Sergeant Major Pun Tulbahadur returns his medals to Downing Street
He was told he had no right to free care by a revenue enforcer at West Middlesex University Hospital.
Mr Pun, one of just 10 living VC holders in the UK, was close to tears and forced to leave after being told he also owed thousands of pounds because he had 'misled' the hospital over his immigration status.
The Gurkha, who lives on just £135 a week, was ejected this week on the anniversary of winning his VC in Burma on June 23 1944.
He had attended the Isleworth hospital's cardiology department for an urgent follow-up appointment and has been on lifesaving heart drugs for 10 months.
5 comments:
A very sad story, but I'm not clear as to where this relates to saving Bedford Hospital.
It relates to Bedford because it is symptomatic of all that has gone wrong in Britain under Labour.
this has nothing to dowith bedford hospital and furthermore it ytakes away from the fight to save it because half of this story is not true. Go onto the DH website and look at who is actually entitled to free care before your spread anymore lies with the intent of destroying someone. Who actually works for the NHS and has spent all their lives trying to protect it. He was only doing his job and following guidelines. No treatment was denied, but hey you are not interested in that - are you?? cos that doesnt get publicity. How did they get to Downing Street that fast - publicity stunt, at the expense of the NHS, well done you have been sucked in.
I hope Bedford hospital is saved, but this wont help.
Your reply shows that you have an agenda that is not related to the cause you profess to defend. I'm just as enthusiastic in saving Bedford Hospital as you are, but suggest that you are not helping this cause by bringing party politics into it. You seem to forget that a huge number of those anxious to support the hospital would also support Labour.
My apologies. Fir "reply" read "article"
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