Foreign student left to bleed for days after Cyprus hospital labels her ‘illegal’ and refuse treatment until she pays €100

A foreign student in Cyprus bled for 12 days following a miscarriage, unable to access medical treatment until a local woman intervened to help her secure private care that may have saved her life

When the student first sought help at a state hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department, staff refused to treat her after discovering she was not covered by the General Healthcare System (GHS). They demanded €100 upfront for a pathologist to see her and allegedly called her “illegal,” according to the local woman who accompanied her.

Private hospitals also turned her away because she lacked GHS coverage, while her university health insurance excluded gynaecological services. As her condition worsened, she developed an infection due to the delay in receiving care. With the help of citizens, she eventually obtained private medical treatment.

“I witnessed racism firsthand through a situation that could have ended tragically,” the local woman told Phileleftheros, recounting the ordeal step by step. 

“They called her illegal and told me to leave”

“The girl had lost her baby and was bleeding for 12 days in unbearable pain,” the woman said. “At the hospital, she was too weak to explain, so I spoke to staff. As soon as they realised she wasn’t a GHS beneficiary, they refused to treat her unless she paid €100 for a pathologist. Their behaviour was offensive, cold, and racist. They called her ‘illegal’ and told me to take her and leave.”

Although the student is legally enrolled at a Cypriot university, “no one cared to check,” the woman added. “Because she wasn’t in the GHS system, they simply labelled her illegal.”

Infection and life-threatening delay

The following day, the student’s condition deteriorated, with severe pain and heavy bleeding. The woman contacted her private gynaecologist—who is not part of GHS—who agreed to see them as an emergency at 8:30 p.m.

After examining her, the doctor discovered an infection caused by retained embryonic tissue and warned that surgery was needed within 48 hours to prevent septicaemia. The doctor was reportedly shocked that the student had gone untreated for so long.

The woman then contacted several gynaecological clinics to inquire about surgical costs.

“Everyone was polite until I mentioned it was for a foreign student without GHS coverage,” she said. “Their tone changed instantly—coldness, irony, rejection. The state hospital refused even to give me basic information.”

The surgery was eventually performed at a private clinic, paid for in cash.

“It was the only place that treated her as a human being, not as an ‘illegal’ or ‘foreigner.’ I’m sharing this story because the racist behaviour she faced reveals a deeper, dangerous problem,” the woman said.

Formal complaint filed

A formal complaint has been submitted to the Patients’ Rights Observatory of the Federation of Patient Associations of Cyprus (CyFPA/OSAK).

“These things should never happen,” said federation president Charalambos Papadopoulos. “For us, patients are patients—regardless of whether they are Cypriot, European, or foreign. Their rights are the same.”

“We understand that SHSO has introduced new fees for non-GHS beneficiaries, but we must seriously consider the ethics of demanding €100 upfront from someone who is bleeding and in need of urgent care. We await the organisation’s response before commenting further.”