The family of a Ukrainian motorcyclist who might be unable to walk following a traffic accident, have launched a fundraising appeal to help cover hospital costs.
Max Rubtsov was seriously injured when he crashed his Yamaha into a metal barrier on Triq il-Marina, Pietá on February 28. He was the fifth traffic accident victim reported that day.
The crash left him with four fractures in his spine, a broken leg and arm, and a pierced lung due to his broken ribs.
Rubstov, 34, was unemployed at the time of the accident and did not have a health insurance policy. As a third-country national, he does not qualify for free public healthcare.
That quandary has prompted his ex-wife to launch an appeal for funding to help cover his hospital bill.
“His condition is very bad at the moment, he is suffering from pneumonia and his breathing is 80 per cent dependent on a machine,” Mariia Ivanova told Times of Malta. "He's fighting for his life".
She was informed that he lost control at the turn and crashed.
The couple moved to Malta back in 2015, and have a nine-year-old son together.
Doctors informed the family that there is a chance Rubstov will not be able to walk, even after surgery.
“Because of his high temperature and pneumonia, the surgery cannot take place yet,” she said.
Third-country nationals without insurance coverage face steep costs to access public healthcare: in 2019, a hospital bed cost anything from €256 to €931 per night, with scans costing hundreds of euros each.
The GoFundMe page 'help me to save life of Max Rubtsov' has no donations so far. Ivanova said her ex-mother-in-law has received some donations directly to her.
"We have what we have at the moment. My son is quite upset, but I have not taken him to the hospital to see him as I believe it would be very shocking for him."
She said that she is concerned about the safety of Maltese roads, adding that "every day" there is an accident.
Last year Malta saw a tragic record of 26 road deaths, which lead the government to look into a way to ensure the tragic toll is not repeated and has pledged several policy shifts to make roads safer.