Sick in Belarus, No Travel Insurance

M

moritorium

Registered User
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A friend of mine and her infant daughter are in a regional town in Belarus without any travel insurance. The baby has picked up a virus and has been admitted to hositpal twice. Hospital conditions are poor. There is little point in anyone from home trying to get out there as we don't speak Russian.

What are the options at this late stage?

  • Is it possible for them to buy travel insurance mid-trip?
  • If so, does travel insurance have the same moral hazard/pre-existing condition exclusions as normal medical insurance?
  • What can they do to get the (Irish) child into an adequate hospital?
Neither parent has private medical cover in Ireland.
 
Are they Irish citzens with Irish passports? If they are, contact http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=5445 (Belarus consular services for Irish citizens operate out of Vilnius, Lithuania)

Trying to take out travel / illness insurance is unlikely to cover them for benefits mid-trip after an emergency has arisen.
 
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No insurance under the sun will accept someone with an existing medical emergency. It is unreasonable to venture this far out of the civilized world without medical insurance... now that it has happened, there are only two solutions: Either pay out of your own pocket for proper care; or somehow get the sick kid back to civilization.
 
Are there any adoption-related issues which prevent the child from leaving the country?
 
http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=397

First para on the DFA website re travel advice for Belarus is the vital importance of travel insurance if travelling to Belarus ...

Contact the Embassy in Vilnius straight away. They will at least be able to help you with communication and perhaps recommend a decent western style hospital and assist with transfer arrangments? They can´t pay for it though.
 
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