Ontario man stranded in Costa Rica due to lack of hospital beds at home

A Canadian man who suffered a medical emergency in Costa Rica is stuck waiting in a hospital after his family was told no hospitals in Ontario are able to admit him due to a lack of available beds.

Grant Rice of Calabogie, Ont., located north of Kingston, was spending his winter in Costa Rica, with a return flight back to Canada booked for May 1. However, the 69-year old’s holiday came to a halt earlier this month when his health took a turn.

Emma, Rice’s daughter, told Global News her father started to develop numbness in his tongue, which quickly spread throughout his face, leading to difficulty swallowing and eventually compromising his ability to breathe effectively.

She said she flew out to Costa Rica on April 9th as soon she heard her dad wasn’t doing well. Emma told Global News that upon her arrival, she found the quality of care her father was receiving wasn’t good.

“He was still in his street clothes… he had an oxygen line in his nose, but he was not good. I found him at the edge of the bed unable to breathe,” Emma said.

However, she explained that once she arrived, things started to pick up and get better.

“I got him into a bed. He got a lot more care, he got placed on a ventilator, was able to breathe and all his stats came back up and he got a diagnosis.”

Emma said her father was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, sometimes known as GBS, which is a rare but serious autoimmune disorder.

“It basically causes nerve paralysis. Quite often it starts in the limbs, but with him, it started in his head.”

Rice has spent the last few days in a hospital in San Jose with his daughter, awaiting their return to Canada. Despite having his insurance ready and a plane available, the unavailability of beds in Ontario has forced