Thank you, Phuket! Alexey Gorbunov went in for surgery about 3.30pm after donors came forward to give litres of his rare A Negative blood.


PHUKET: Doctors at Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket City have put out an urgent public appeal for A Negative blood so they can perform an operation on a Russian man.

The man was seriously hurt in a motorcycle crash on November 27 and has had one operation on his badly broken right leg.

In performing this operation, the hospital used up its supply of A Negative blood.

Now the man needs a second urgent operation to repair damage to his neck. His blood type is not available from the Red Cross or other sources.

Normally, the appeal would be for blood for an anonymous Russian person, but in this case, Phuketwan can put a face and a name to the man involved.

He is Alexey Gorbunov, 33, and he acted as translator for us when we spoke to the wife of Russian Nikolai Nefedov, who had been hit by a speedboat and was in the same ward at Vachira Phuket.

Alexey gave permission to use his name and photograph.

He is hoping to have the operation today or tomorrow as he fights back from the effects of his crippling motorcycle crash.

Alexey can't remember anything about what happened, just waking up in Bangkok Hospital Phuket, where he was treated before being transferred to Vachira Phuket.

''I am usually very careful on the roads,'' he told us. ''I do remember being at home in Kathu in the morning, then nothing.''

Alexey said he had been living on Phuket for two months and in Thailand for 14 months. He is frustrated by not recollecting what happened, but that is not unusual among crash victims.

He wears a helmet for safety, has a Thai licence, and reckons he would be dead if he hadn't been wearing one when the crash happened.

''As soon as I am well enough, I will go to the police to see what their report says,'' he told us. ''Then I will turn investigator to try to put the pieces together.''

First, Alexey needs that A Negative blood desperately. If anyone is able to help, please contact Nurse Mrs Methavee at Vachira Phuket's international department on 081 8455052.

Phuketwan supports Mothers or Motorcycles, an action group that seeks better road safety and 100 percent helmet wearing.