Since footballer Donny van Iperen has been in a coma after a collision in a Moldovan hospital, his family has been trying to get him to a Netherlands. But that is not easy, notices those around him. Because the footballer is not with a Dutch health insurer, he cannot be moved and admitted to a Dutch hospital.
That is what Joey van Iperen, Donny’s brother, tells NH Nieuws.
The 27-year-old footballer from Sint-Pancras was admitted to a Moldovan hospital on Saturday after the accident. “We are happy with the people in this hospital in Moldova, but the level of care in the Netherlands is higher,” says Joey.
For that reason, Donny’s family wants to bring him to the Netherlands. The Moldovan club FC Zimbru has indicated to the family to cover the hospital costs, even if he is being cared for in the Netherlands.
No hospital in the Netherlands
The plan was to travel to the Netherlands with Donny on Thursday. Everything was arranged from Moldova; an ambulance to the airport and a special care aircraft. “But what we still needed after that was a hospital that can receive us and an ambulance from Schiphol.”
That turned out not to be there and so they run into a wall. Although Donny is a Dutch citizen, he is registered as a citizen in Moldova and is dependent on the care in the country.
Donny’s family has done everything they can in recent days to look for possibilities. “We called a lot of hospitals, but they couldn’t do anything for us,” says Joey. “We also contacted the Dutch authorities and Donny had an insurance policy that we called.” So far without success. “Nobody there knows where to go.”
‘Bad situation’
The situation of the 27-year-old footballer is worrying. A day after the accident, there were still positive reports, but today the club came back to that. “Unfortunately, the situation has remained bad since and until now, as there has been no material improvement in the player’s health,” director Sergiu Topor said today.
Contact has now been made with the Dutch players’ union VVCS and the international players’ union FIFpro. They informed the family that they were looking for a solution. Joey hopes something will come of that. “I just want the best for my brother.”