A pregnant mother who is stuck in a hospital in Greece admits she is 'fearing' for the safety of her unborn child. Thurza Blagg from Nottingham began bleeding whilst on holiday in Rhodes and was rushed to a local medical facility.
The 32-year-old who is 28 weeks on in her pregnancy wants to return to the UK to give birth 'safely'. Ms Blagg claims her insurance company, AXA, missed a chance to repatriate her back home, resulting in a transfer to Alexandra hospital in Athens, reports NottinghamshireLive.
She is fearing for her baby due to the language barrier with doctors and medical staff and says she has received little support. She said: "I don't feel very safe, I don't feel like I've got a clear birth plan".
The government in the UK is said to be aiding Ms Blagg and is in contact with local authorities in Greece. AXA stated that after reviewing her case, providing her with the medical assistance she needs is crucial.
On May 6, she travelled went to Rhodes with her mum Kim as part of celebrating her 60th birthday.
Sadly her partner Paul Ahad, dad to her unborn baby, took his own life in January. The holiday was a means to "get it away from it all", she said. "This baby that I'm carrying now is really important because it's the only piece of my partner I've got left," she added.
Ms Blagg did receive a fit-to-fly letter before travelling but on May 12, two days before she was due to return home, the bleeding began before she ended up at Rhodes General Hospital and was told her waters had broke.
She was said to be given medication to delay the birth of her child and contacted AXA in order to arrange a flight home. They were unable to obtain the necessary information from her GP over the weekend.
Nottinghamshire Live say in a letter Ms Blagg was told she could sign a medical disclaimer saying she would be liable for payment if she did not "fall within the terms of your policy".
However, after sending the signed documentation, she claimed said AXA failed to organise her flight before the decision was made to move her to Athens.
She said: "I should've been sent home but they basically ignored that. They left me in a hospital for 12 hours without neonatal facilities. Time was running out and a decision had to be made.
"There was an opportunity for me to return home to receive the appropriate care. I did everything they asked, it isn't about money, I want my baby to be alive, healthy and safe. I'm scared and I want to go home and understand what's happening to my baby.
"It's not like the UK here, it's hard to understand what my condition is. There is a massive language barrier, when they're saying medical terms and I'm carrying my first full term pregnancy, it's hard to understand what's going on.
"I don't feel very safe, I don't feel like I've got a clear birth plan. They're changing my sheets today for the first time, I haven't been offered any food or water, my mum has to buy it all."
She added that she was assessed in plain view of other patients and their visitors, something that she felt made her very vulnerable. She added: "People's boyfriends could be there and staff will rip off my pants to have a look at me, there's no curtain or privacy. I feel highly vulnerable."
She is still in contact with AXA and the British Embassy, who she hopes will help her facilitate a return to the UK. "It's mine and Paul's baby, it's all I've got left of Paul," she said. "I feel pressurised and I don't feel safe."
Her mum, Kim, who has remained by her side, said: "It's been disgusting, shocking and frightening. It's been an awful ordeal and because of there being limited visiting hours I've had to fight to stay in the room with her. We've had no support whatsoever, the insurance company has been terrible."
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are supporting a British woman hospitalised in Greece and are in contact with the local authorities.”
An AXA Partners spokesperson said: “We are very sorry to hear about Ms Blagg’s circumstances and we sympathise with her situation. Due to the complex nature of her condition, we have a duty of care to ensure any decision we take is in her best interest.
"Therefore, it was essential for our medical team to obtain and review Ms Blagg’s full medical history in order to determine the appropriate next steps to ensure she receives the right level of care.
"Following a review of this information, we will provide her with the medical assistance she requires.”
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