Countries with the most dangerous medicine for tourists from Russia named

Even the most luxurious and comfortable resort can have its holiday spoiled if you get sick or injured and have to deal with the local medical staff.

In Russia, the healthcare system is limping on both legs , but this does not mean that everything automatically gets better abroad. Recently, alarming news has been coming from foreign resorts: local doctors are pumping money out of vacationers, and at the same time maiming them.

In Thailand this year, a 33-year-old vacationer from Yekaterinburg died: she suddenly lost consciousness, she was taken to a local hospital, but the insurance did not cover all the expenses. Doctors refused to see the woman until their services were paid for - only in cash and only in baht. The result: a coma and subsequent death.

A resident of Kemerovo was luckier: she fell out of bed in her sleep and fell into a coma. But after overcoming a number of bureaucratic difficulties, she was evacuated from the Thai hospital to a clinic in Novokuznetsk.

And in the Central State Hospital in Bali, about ten cases have been recorded in a year alone, when tourists received harm from doctors instead of help. The high cost of medical services, low qualification of personnel, lack of modern equipment - and here is the result: you have to get treatment in your home country. For example, after an operation for 50 thousand dollars, remnants of surgical material were found in the body of a 16-year-old teenager. In other cases, instead of painkillers, a person was given sleeping pills, during an appendectomy, part of the intestine was cut out at the same time...

You can be the most cautious person in the world, avoid extreme sports, refrain from diving with fish and corals in Egypt, refuse to ride mopeds in Asia, but it is impossible to protect yourself from all risks.

In January 2025, a tourist bus got into an accident at the entrance to Pattaya in Thailand: 27 Russians ended up in the hospital with injuries. And in May 2025, five tourists were urgently taken to the hospital with symptoms of poisoning after trying local fruits.

What is more important is what kind of medical care can be provided in a particular country. Associate Professor of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation Ekaterina Andreeva confirms: in Southeast Asia, finding a good clinic is a great success.

— Most complaints about poor treatment, inflated prices and language barriers come from Thailand and Vietnam. It cannot be said that this is the case everywhere, but the risks of encountering incompetent staff or outdated equipment are higher there. Problems often concern the diagnosis of complex injuries and the provision of emergency care.

Director of personal insurance at broker Mains Galina Leonova adds: the low quality of medicine is just half the trouble.

— It would not be an exaggeration to say that there is a real medical mafia operating in Turkey, Egypt and Thailand. Patients are faced with inflated prices for services, the imposition of unnecessary procedures and even falsification of diagnoses. The minimum coverage amount of 30,000 euros, which most tourists take on holiday, is usually not enough, especially when it comes to severe cases.

The risk of running into medical scammers is especially high if you go to a hospital on the recommendation of hotel staff, notes travel blogger and author of the Telegram channel “Albert’s Allusion” Albert Bodokia .

— In Egypt, there are cases when hotels send victims to pre-arranged clinics, where bills are issued that are tens of times higher than usual. In Thailand, some clinics refuse to work with Russian insurance companies, demanding cash payments. In Turkey, inflated prices are recorded even for basic procedures.

So even in familiar Turkey you have to be on your guard: there may be good specialists and good equipment, but the bill for treatment will be so high that standard insurance will not cover it. You will have to find large sums of money to pay for it yourself.

Tourists are often an inexhaustible source of income for local residents. Especially since the sick person has nowhere to go, and in an emergency, a person cannot always make balanced and reasonable decisions. Galina Leonova told us what to do to avoid falling for the bait of scammers.

— Before seeking medical care for the first time, you must first contact the insurance company. You will have to request a detailed medical report and all receipts from the medical organization. It is advisable for the patient or accompanying person to record as much evidence as possible in photos and videos.

And if you understand that the treatment did not go according to plan, then you need to follow four steps, instructed PhD in Law, Associate Professor of the Financial University, Managing Partner of the Research Center “Analytics. Business. Law” Kirlan Marchel.

1. Immediately contact the insurance company's service center at the number indicated in the policy. Specialists will help arrange a transfer to another clinic or a consultation with alternative specialists.

2. Contact the Russian consulate or embassy in the country of residence. Diplomatic missions can provide information about reliable medical institutions and provide assistance in difficult situations.

3. Collect all medical records, including examination results, prescriptions, and payment receipts. These materials will be needed for any subsequent investigation.

4. Upon returning to Russia, if necessary, contact the insurance company with a claim for reimbursement of additional expenses for the treatment of complications that arose as a result of poor-quality medical care.

Timely and decisive actions will help to preserve health or even life. Do not hesitate to contact the local police and diplomatic bodies of the Russian Federation: any help can be useful.

The most important rule is to not skimp on paying for extended insurance. Many people limit themselves to the minimum amount of coverage that gives the right to enter the country. Often this is 30,000 dollars or euros. Ekaterina Andreeva explains that this amount may not be enough. In Russia, medicine is cheap by world standards, and other countries have different ideas about the cost of treatment.

— For a trip to a seaside resort, it is recommended to take out insurance with coverage of at least 50,000 dollars or euros. Ideally, 100,000 and above. It is important to understand that the cost of treating serious injuries or illnesses abroad can be very high.

Galina Leonova adds that it is necessary to carefully read the text of the contract with the insurance company. It may be long, written in small print, but it is necessary to do this. Most people neglect this simple truth, and then are very surprised.

— In May, we conducted a study, the results of which showed that every eighth Russian (13%) does not study the terms of the insurance contract. 39.8% of respondents said that they study the contract before signing it, 24.2% — after signing, and 16% — only after an insured event occurs.

But remember that no matter how good the insurance company is, there will always be cases in which it will not pay you anything. The main examples were given by Kirlan Marchel .

If you don't want to ruin your vacation and the rest of your life, don't be lazy in studying the documents. One piece of paper can save you. But even after that, don't stick your head in the tiger's mouth - be careful on your summer vacation.