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RF woman, premature baby cannot be airlifted from Thailand

Medics believe it is hardly possible to airlift the child to Russia at the moment

MOSCOW, February 18 (Itar-Tass) – It is impossible to airlift to Russia the Russian woman who gave premature birth while on a holiday in Thailand, and she may be transferred to another hospital with special equipment, the press service of Russia’s children’s rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov told Tass on Monday.

“According to medics from Pattaya Memorial Hospital, the condition of the child who weighed only about 850 grams at birth, is rather grave and he needs special care,” the sources said.

The child first of all needs the artificial lung ventilation system. The hospital in Pattaya does not have all necessary medical equipment, that is why medics are considering moving the new-born boy to one of hospitals in the capital of Thailand, the sources added.

Medics believe it is hardly possible to airlift the child to Russia at the moment. It is necessary to wait till his condition stabilizes and he can breathe himself.

Meanwhile, the parents themselves pay the hospital bills that have already exceeded 700 dollars. In case he is moved to another hospital with the mother, a deposit of 4,000 dollars must be made. According to different estimates, the total cost of medical treatment may make up between 40,000 and 70,000 dollars. The parents don’t have this amount of money at the moment, while the medical insurance does not cover this case.

The woman gave birth to a child on February 15 at 26 weeks of gestation. She had been on a holiday in Thailand with the husband since February 10. The family lives in the Sakhalin region.

Staffers of the Russian Embassy and Consulate in Pattaya remain in constant touch with the parents and medics.