A FRENCH FAMILY HAS RECEIVED A BILL FOR NEARLY €88,000 AFTER THEIR SON FELL ILL WITH MALARIA IN AFRICA. A FRENCH family has received a bill for nearly €88,000 after their son had to be

repatriated from Africa after falling dangerously ill with malaria. Matthieu Jacquet had been working as a pastry chef in Malawi when he contracted the disease, but by the time the effects

left him in a coma in hospital in Blantyre he had no health insurance and, having stopped working just weeks before, no medical cover through his job. His parents wired €2,000 to cover his

medical expenses but Matthieu did not improve and doctors said that unless he received specialised treatment, he could have only 12 hours left to live. The decision was taken to repatriate

travelling to Africa without comprehensive travel and medical insurance was irresponsible. Each year up to 400 official repatriations are made and around half are people without the

financial means to return to France. Most of the rest are because of a crisis in the host country (civil unrest, weather, etc) and only a dozen or so are for medical reasons. Since the

family took to Facebook the French government has issued a reminder that it strongly advises people working in Africa to take out comprehensive private insurance. People working abroad can

also continue to pay into, and benefit from, the French health system via the Caisse des Français de l’Etranger, topping up as usual with a mutuelle. This is also open to EU nationals who

have been living in France for at least five years. See www.cfe.fr The family can still appeal to the government for a partial or complete cancellation of the debt and can also arrange a

schedule of payments.