"Hello xxxx, sorry for delay. I am sick now , have stomack ache..., and I need to get examination at the doctor.i still didnt find
work, so I dont have money even to go to the hospital and have all сheakups..(((
I realize that you are the only one I can ask you for help.
I am in desperate..(("
At least $55 is reasonable cost for a hospital in Kiev, indicates the potential for being genuine. I am living in Almaty currently and a friend is a doctor in a public hospital and earns about $800/m. Normal healthcare in these places is not expensive.
I have written before on this forum -- there is a significant overlap, between what a scammer might do, and what a sincere woman might do, depending on the circumstances. Probably this is a scam, but I can't be certain that it is! I'm skeptical any time I hear someone say that on the basis of some generalization, they can make an infallible judgment about another person.
I have not heard before of a scammer asking for such a small amount, but (again) that doesn't prove anything. I agree with gemini, that it sounds like a reasonable figure for what she is saying. And if she doesn't have family able to help her out ... especially if she is a mother ... she really COULD be desperate.
Rule 1, as every man here needs to know, is "never send money to a woman you haven't met."
For myself, if there had been substantial dialog, with a lot of give-and-take (not just form letters) -- and I felt that I was really getting to know her -- I would consider sending the money (not advice, just my own kind of foolishness -- I've never broken Rule 1, but under some circumstances I might think about it). But if she were more or less of a "new contact," I would immediately put her in the scammer column.
lol...interesting to see different responses. As a matter of principal i've never broken the golden rule - do not send money at her request in any case(no i've not met or spoken to her)
On the other hand, i've met women in Ukraine, and still corresponded to them when i've arrived back to England, and offered to pay for their English lessons. And was flat out refused. So no, not all of them are money grabbers.
In this case, she's given me her full name, and told me to use Western Union asap.
Why she don't go to state hospital(it's free)? Free medical help is garanted by constitution.
I can not agree with GEMINIDREAMS- 55$ isn't enough to go to private hospital(reseiving by doctor- from 3000-5000 tenge,different tests- 3000-20000(even more) 100$=14700tenge)
If she lives in little town(less than 70000)- usually there are not private hospitals
My advice is if the lady could be of strong long term interest and the amount not outrageous then pay. Its a lot cheaper way of finding out about the person than spending thousands on travel and accommodation and more importantly your time. Just do it in a way that provides you with information about her. Lets face it lots of guys spend more than this on flowers and achieve nothing but a warm and fuzzy feeling.
"Why she don't go to state hospital(it's free)? Free medical help is garanted by constitution."
Vesnovka, are you talking about Ukraine or Russia? If it isn't a state hospital, how much would one have to pay. In a private hospital, if one appeals for help from the Ministry of Health, how long does (s)he have to wait? I am talking about major surgery.
On my 2009 trip to Russia and Ukraine, I broke a tooth in Tver,, and discovered it was getting infected or abscessed on the plane to Kiev and Odessa! A day or two later, I knew I would never make it home, and needed to have it pulled in Odessa.
The hotel called a dental hospital, interpreter, and taxi for me. The building was the size of a small hospital,,, 5 floors I think?? I was their first foreigner,,,, and they did not know what to charge me,,, their service was free for locals!! However,, people would give them tips!!! I asked; How much?? 700UAH!! I converted the amount in my head and smiled!! About 90USD!
The doctor worked on me for over an hour,,, and I mean he worked!! It was a back wisdom tooth,, and I couldn’t open my mouth more than 2cm!!
A few years earlier,, I had a tooth that broke in half,, after having a root canal performed many years ago. I guess it is common for this to happen,, the tooth is dead and becomes brittle! The doctor took one minute to pull the tooth! Grabbed the first half,,, then the second,,,, 90USD!! I was embarrassed about going to the dentist,, it was so easy!!
I did have to pay for medicine,, it was five different individual medicines,,, I guess we would have some of them mixed or combined here?? The price was 26!! I think UAH,,, not 100% sure anymore. Either way, still cheap!!
Ragingbull, i'm talking about all FSU.Almost in all our countries remained (after USSR)free medical assistanse.I can't say that it's very good.But it's available
In private hospital:
1 reseption by a doctor- 25-80$
ultrasonic scanning-15-40$(one organ)
common blood test- 10-30$
infections (aid, hepatits and others)- 15-40$ each
caries-50-200$
Staing in hospital- 60-120$ per day
I wrote average prises in Almaty(Kazakhstan).
In Russia: in Moscow- higher, in other sities- like these or lower
in Ucraine: in Kiev- like these or lower, in other cities- lower
About surjery- it has 2 translations:õèðóðãèÿ(operation) ïðè¸ì ó âðà÷à(reseption, visit to a doctor)
If OPERATION- in every country there are different laws.
In my- my friend was operated(interverterbral hernia) in pr hospital.(the doctor in pr hosp advised it) and it was paid by M of Health.She waited 10 days.(she even didn'pay a bribe(it's common thing))But she paid for staing in this hospital
But usually it's hard to make M of H to pay for the operation in p h
Sometietimes people even duy while wayting.
Thank you for your answer, Vesnovka. I am asked you because of Liana in the news link.
http://www.temaufa.ru/news/note/item/922/
Her spine has curved more than 100% degrees and it is compressing her internal organs. Her surgery is the implantation of titanium plates to straighten her spine. It will be only the second time this type of surgery will be done in Russia. There was only one other, and it was successful. The hospital is private funding.
It will cost is 657,000 rubles. The news report says 700,000 maybe because they are rounding or the cost of the surgery has gone up. They have been talking about the cost of surgery going up. She has a group in vkontakte and a few people working with her tirelessly daily, asking people to help. They sound desperate.
It looks to me that the Ministry of Health is way underfunded. The news report says she appealed to the Ministry of Health and they gave her a number far, far away. They even joked about it. As I look at vkontakte, there are many others like her looking for donations and are also desperate.