St. Maarten News —A patient who was sent to the Dominican Republic to undergo surgery, said he was kicked out of the hotel where he was staying without money and had to stay on the streets for 48 hours. The patient, Ricardo Gumbs was sent to remove the scar tissue in his face arms and upper body following burns from an acid attack. According to Gumbs, the nightmare started after his girlfriend whom he had recommended to the SZV, came to the Dominican Republic take care of him.
In refuting newspaper reports, Gumbs explained that the altercation between him and his girlfriend had nothing to do with a fist fight. He said that his girlfriend, who was staying at the hotel that was provided by the SZV, decided to destroy the bed sheets after he failed to inform her in what he had done with some of his money.
He pointed out that he did not tell her what he was doing because he was planning to purchase an engagement ring for her after he had completed his surgery as a surprise. When the matter of the altercation was reported to the SZV representative in the Dominican Republic, he was expelled from the hotel and threw him in the streets without any funds to purchase food or shelter. He had to remain on the streets on the day it was intended for him to do the surgery. He apparently confronted the SZV representative who told him that he was given the authority from the SZV representatives on St. Maarten to throw him out on the streets.
Gumbs further claimed that the SZV representative in the Dominican Republic told him that the flight back to St. Maarten was during the midday hours when it was in the morning. “If I had not seen a friend who was in the Dominican Republic at the time, I would have missed my flight and may have had to stay longer without any proper boarding and lodging,” Gumbs said.
Patient sent to DR for surgery alleges mistreatment by SZV
