A Russian family from the Republic of Karelia became stranded in Turkey after their one-year-old daughter developed a rash suspected to be Coxsackievirus, and the family said their insurance company refused to cover most of the resulting costs, according to the Russian outlet Baza.
Daria, the child's mother, said her daughter broke out in a rash the day before the family was due to fly home from Turkey. She said the girl had no severe symptoms, so the parents initially assumed it was an allergic reaction to the sun or to chlorine in the swimming pool.
Rash appeared before flight home
A manager at the family's hotel suggested the rash could instead be a sign of Coxsackievirus and referred the family to a doctor, Daria said.
Coxsackievirus is a common viral infection that most often affects young children. It typically causes a rash along with mild fever and sores in the mouth, and spreads easily in group settings such as hotels and pools, though it is usually not dangerous.
Doctor barred child from flying
According to Daria, a pediatrician at the hospital confirmed the suspected diagnosis without running any tests and issued an order barring the child from flying until 7 September 2026. The girl was not admitted to hospital. Instead, she was prescribed medication and the family was sent back to the hotel to continue her treatment there.
By that point, the parents' vacation time had run out, and they had hoped to cover the additional costs through their medical travel insurance.
Insurer refuses to cover costs
The insurance company Ingosstrakh, one of Russia's largest insurers, agreed to compensate the family only for the cost of the doctor's appointment, Daria said.
As a result, the family had to pay roughly 35,000 rubles out of pocket for five extra days at the hotel, and about 100,000 rubles for new plane tickets. They also had to buy separate tickets to travel from St Petersburg onward to their home region of Karelia.
The family said they plan to challenge the insurer's decision, arguing that they were forced to remain in Turkey not through any fault of their own but because a doctor had barred the child from flying.
