The Government is unable to help fund the medical evacuation of a Kiwi mother fighting for her life in Bali to New Zealand.
Abby Hartley, 41, was rushed into hospital at the beginning of August after falling ill while on her 'second honeymoon' in Bali with husband Richard.
After emergency surgery to remove a section of her bowel, her health took a turn for the worst and she developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), several infections, a collapsed lung and kidney failure.
She is now in an induced coma, and her family have set up a Givealittle to raise the costs of an emergency medical evacuation and pay for her enormous hospital bills.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said he understood that Ms Hartley is in a very challenging situation, but the Government could not offer financial support.
"I have to confirm that the New Zealand Government is unable to fund the costs of medical care of evacuations for New Zealanders who become ill while overseas," Mr Peters told NZME.
He said that they should talk to their insurers and could get assistance from the New Zealand Embassy in Jakarta.
"I wish Abby well with her recovery, and hope she is well enough to return to New Zealand soon," he said.
Abby is severely oxygen deprived, meaning she will have some brain damage - but the extent of this won't be known until she wakes up, her daughter Sophie wrote on the Givealittle page.
Sophie returned to New Zealand on August 17 to continue running the family tiling business, but her father Richard and 16-year-old brother Toby remain in Bali.
Her father's visa runs out on September 1, which he will have to renew in order to stay in Indonesia.
Newshub.
