What was meant to be a dream vacation for an Indian-origin family in Kazakhstan quickly turned into a nightmare when the husband suffered a serious injury while on the trip. The man, who had traveled with his wife and two young children from Kuwait, slipped on snow and fractured his femur, setting off a long chain of medical difficulties, high costs, and uncooperative authorities.
The incident unfolded on a Friday morning when the husband, identified as “J,” fell and broke his thighbone. He was rushed to a government hospital in Kazakhstan, where doctors advised immediate surgery. However, his wife, concerned about the quality of medical care, reached out to local Malayalis in Kazakhstan, who advised against proceeding with the surgery there. Instead, they suggested flying back to Kuwait or India for treatment.
The wife, now desperate, contacted the Indian Embassy in Kazakhstan, but the response was far from helpful. Embassy officials merely provided her with the contact number of Air Astana for inquiries about flying the injured man back. The situation was further complicated by a language barrier and a lack of support from the embassy.
As the family faced the daunting task of arranging a flight out of Kazakhstan, they encountered another obstacle: the husband’s condition made it impossible for him to sit up during the flight, and none of the airlines offered stretcher services. The only option was a costly air ambulance, which came with a staggering price tag of 6-7 million rupees.
After exhausting all options, the family found help from an Indigo engineer in Kerala, who managed to get special approval to remove eight seats and fit a stretcher on the aircraft. However, the flight would only take the family as far as Delhi, requiring further arrangements to reach Kochi.
Amidst the paperwork and approval delays, the family was hopeful of flying out soon. Yet, even after overcoming one hurdle, they faced a new complication. The airline now required the medical evacuation form to be signed by a Kazakh doctor, but the doctor would only sign documents from the hospital where he worked.
This experience has highlighted the importance of travel insurance and preparedness for unforeseen emergencies. JD, who shared the family’s ordeal on social media, advised travelers to always have emergency contacts, local Indian associations, and a reliable translator app to navigate language barriers.
