0220_Testimonial book
Here’s the story behind what we do and why we do it.
Our mission is to help our customers be well. We are here to make their life easier, safer and simpler.
Here’s the story behind what we do and why we do it.
Every day someone, somewhere in the world, needs our help. For our customers, these can be the most challenging and vulnerable moments of their lives, and they are often happening a long way from home.
We get it, we’ve been there too. That’s why our culture of care is at the heart of everything we do. Our mission is to help you be well. We are here to make your life easier, safer and simpler. That is why we provide 24 hour support across multiple time zones. We want to ensure our customers have access to quality healthcare and support services at the right place, at the right time, at the right price. You see, we’re not just a health insurer, we’re your global health partner.
In this book you will discover why we do what we do. Real stories, real people. That's why.
**Imagine becoming seriously ill when the medical staff is too: this is Jason’s stroke story in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.**
Michelle and Jason Belisle, originally from Canada, moved to Fiji in 2015 as Michelle started a work assignment. They both enjoyed their expat life and decided to stay for a few years.
In July 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jason suffered a stroke and was rushed to a private local hospital by ambulance. Michelle, who accompanied Jason, realised quickly that it would take long to get a diagnosis or care due to the ongoing pandemic and its restrictions.
I was so worried and confused that I couldn’t even find my policy number, yet Allianz reacted in such an uncomplicated way to my first call: once they understood that it was an emergency, they immediately got involved."
Michelle Belisle
The team at Allianz supported Michelle from the start, contacting the hospital to help get Jason admitted and treated as soon as possible. Jason’s had suffered an extremely serious haemorrhagic stroke, requiring intensive treatment and rehabilitation over a long period of time. As his treating hospital was impacted by the pandemic (staff shortages and restrictions) it was advised that he be transferred to a more appropriate facility on another island for treatment. However, due to his serious condition flying was considered too dangerous. He remained in hospital and started his journey of treatment there.
Throughout the treatment, the Allianz Medical Team were in regular contact with Michelle, supporting her in addressing any medical queries and liaising with the treating hospital.
“John from the Medical Team in Allianz was really supportive in helping me through the process”, Michelle said. “He let me know what I should expect and also what questions to ask to the treating doctors. I never had to worry about insurance or paperwork: all this pressure was lifted off my shoulders, as the team at Allianz was looking after the administration for me. It was such a relief and allowed me to focus on Jason.”
After 20 days in care, Jason’s conditions improved enough as to be flown to New Caledonia (a two-hour flight from Fiji) where he had to quarantine for two weeks. He moved to a rehabilitation centre for further treatment where he remained until March 2022. His condition stabilised and he was finally repatriated to Canada together with Michelle. The repatriation was organised by the team in Allianz, who worked for several months to arrange it: travel restrictions and other pandemic-related circumstances made the entire process challenging.
In the rehabilitation centre in Canada Jason continued his recovery and he was discharged in July 2022. He was able to go back home to continue his recovery in a familiar environment.
Jason is doing well mentally and medically – he is improving his mobility also. He is so happy to be back home. I’m so grateful to John from the Allianz Medical Team, because he truly supported me in a time of need. The entire team at Allianz did a great job to ensure that Jason had access to appropriate care throughout his long treatment journey and challenging pandemic times."
We wish Jason and Michelle all the best and hope Jason will soon recover fully.
**Do you know these dramatic birth scenes on TV, when the baby is born in a most unusual way? Pratyush's birth was just like that…**
Shruti and baby Pratyush in hospital after his birth
"I am so so thankful for your support and help. I wrote an email to your medical team to thank everybody for what they’ve done for me. It’s not easy to be in a foreign country and being so worried didn’t make things easier. I really wanted to share this story to let people know how important it is to have a strong health partner like Allianz."
Baby Pratyush was born in August 2019 while his mum Shruti, was working in Bangkok on an international work assignment.
At week 27, Shruti asked her husband Prashant to take her to hospital after suffering severe stomach pains. After investigations, Shruti was told she could go home.
While waiting for a taxi, Shruti sensed that her pains were getting worse and asked her husband to alert the doctor. There was only time for Shruti to lie down before her baby was born without any assistance or medication. “I didn’t understand what was happening. The nurse said: Your baby is alive! Can you hear him crying? And I couldn’t understand what she meant… how could it be my baby? I still had 3 months of pregnancy left!”
As Baby Pratyush was born so premature, he had to stay in hospital for another 3.5 months which was a difficult time for Shruti and her husband. Not being able to speak the local language and with little English being spoken by the hospital staff left them unable to have detailed conversations about the health of their baby. They were also concerned about medical costs and were unsure if their healthcare plan would cover all of the medical expenses.
“We felt very relieved when we spoke with Dr. Sadhana from Allianz Care, who was able to explain the condition of our son, how much treatment he would need and how much time he would spend in hospital. She also explained that Allianz would settle the bill directly with the hospital and that our plan covered everything. Dr. Sadhana saved our lives! She called me a couple of times and I felt like she was sitting beside me assuring all will be fine”.
Baby Pratyush is now at home with his parents. He is still receiving medical assistance to help with his breathing, but the doctors are confident that he will be able breathe on his own soon.
**Mountain biking in Liberia sounds exotic, doesn’t it? But what happens when things don’t go according to plan? Read Vincent’s story to find out.**
Vincent being rescued from his mountain bike accident
In January 2019 Vincent, a finance manager from Belgium, had an accident on his mountain bike while cycling on a Liberian mountain.
Unable to stand up, an ambulance was called and Vincent was admitted to hospital. X-rays identified 2 fractures: the right collar bone and the right neck of the femur.
It was highly recommended to send Vincent back to Belgium for medical treatment. Allianz Care were contacted, and we confirmed that a plane would be sent to the Liberian International Airport.
Due to the severity of the fractures and the unpaved roads in the area, it was impossible to transport Vincent by road. A small aircraft had to be chartered to transport Vincent from the plantation airstrip to the Liberian International Airport.
On arrival at the airport, the aircraft sent by Allianz Care was waiting.
Vincent continues to recover from his accident, but is seeing gradual improvements in his condition.
"The care provided by the medical team was excellent and very professional. Frankly, it was perfect! I again sincerely wish to thank Allianz for the quality of their service."
**What was supposed to be the best day of their lives, turned out to be something else. Baby Sofia was born with a rare condition, leaving her parents wondering if she would survive. Want to know more?**
Sofia, Elena, Melanie and Andrea enjoying the expat life in Singapore
In 2017 Melanie became pregnant with twins and gave birth to two beautiful girls in October: Sofia and Elena.
After some examinations, the doctors discovered that Sofia's oxygen levels were dropping. They immediately admitted Sofia to the Intensive Care Unit. Sofia underwent some scans and it was discovered that her pulmonary valve was missing. She also had a hole in her heart.
Sofia’s dad, Andrea told us: "This is a really rare case but we had a very good paediatrician with a good team. It was all very stressful as you expect this to be the best day of your life and you realise that it became the worst day of your life because everything you wouldn’t ever have imagined is happening."
The situation was very severe and the young family wasn’t sure if little Sofia would survive. Melanie said: "It was very hard to see Sofia with all the tubes and not being able to hold her".
Sofia had three surgeries in total. The main surgery happened when she was 8kg, big enough to undergo an open heart surgery that took six hours. The surgery was successful and Sofia recovered really well. The twins are almost two years old now and just started pre-school.
A relieved Andrea concluded: "It's like a miracle that she recovered so well and fast from the final surgery. We are also so happy that she doesn’t need an external valve as in 90% of the cases this is the case."
"We felt very supported by Allianz Care in this difficult time. Dr Sadhana followed up with us regularly to check how Sofia was doing, which was really nice and showed her human approach."
Sofia's father, Andrea
**Have you been on a long flight and arrived in your destination eager to explore the new city? So did Pedro. Later he wished he had taken it a bit easier…**
Pedro with his granddaughter Marcela, back in Brazil
Pedro was on a business trip to China when he felt unwell.
On arrival in Shanghai, Pedro went straight to his business activities as it was day-time and he didn’t feel like sleeping.A few hours later, he fainted in the office and his colleagues called an ambulance.
"I couldn’t believe what happened, I just remember my colleague saying that I didn’t look well and then I collapsed. He called an ambulance and I woke up in hospital. The doctors wanted to make sure everything was fine, so they kept me in hospital for 24 hours, in observation."
The hospital contacted us and we organised payment with them directly.
"I couldn’t believe how effortless the whole service was – the doctors ran several exams, everything covered by my insurance. It was just a phone call and everything was solved. I just had to sign the papers before leaving the hospital, there was no bureaucracy. Total efficiency."
After investigation, the doctors concluded that the episode was caused by lack of sleep, after such a long flight from Brazil to Shanghai.
"I couldn’t recommend Allianz Care more – in fact I keep telling my colleagues to ensure they have Allianz cover before traveling abroad – don’t leave the house without it!"
**The bond between a mother and her baby can be strong, even at the early stages of a pregnancy. But approximately 10 to 20 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage. How do people move on after losing a baby? Tiffany tells us about this difficult time in her life.**
In 2016, Tiffany was living in Osaka for work and her husband was in Tokyo. They saw each other every weekend for a year and a half.
At the time, Tiffany did not have private medical cover but her husband included her under his private health insurance with Allianz as he wanted her to have extra protection.They discovered they were pregnant with their first child and were very excited.
Six weeks into the pregnancy, Tiffany told her employer that she would be going back to Tokyo as she didn't want to go through pregnancy alone. A week later, she started to bleed. She was referred to a hospital in Osaka where she was told that she was miscarrying. Tiffany explained: “I was in denial and I think I hoped my doctors were wrong”. Two weeks later, the doctor recommended surgery as she was concerned about Tiffany’s blood loss.
Her husband contacted us to organise Treatment Guarantee while they got ready to go to the hospital. Tiffany was impressed by the service and level of care received, and has kept her International Health Insurance with us ever since. Even when her husband moved job, they stayed with Allianz.
A year and a half later, their first son was born, and is also protected by Allianz Care.
Tiffany is now a happy mother, living in London.
"The lovely staff that my husband called up helped us organise our forms and Allianz contacted the hospital even before I arrived! It was amazing how flawless the service was. No questions asked."
**What happens when you have a baby in a foreign country, where you don’t speak the local language? Now imagine that your baby is arriving earlier than expected and there are complications? That is how Amelie's story begins.**
Amelie with her father Gerald, mother Iris and older sister Helena
Amelie was born in 2015, shortly after her family had moved to Beijing, China.
The pregnancy went smoothly until week 30 when her mother, Iris was admitted to hospital. Amelie was born prematurely, weighing only 1.5kg and 39cm tall. She was very weak and had to stay in an incubator for a week and after that 4 weeks in a mother-child room in the hospital.
Amelie’s mother stayed with her at the hospital all the time, while her father Gerald had to take care of the eldest daughter at home.
"Our parents flew in to take care of my daughter, as I had to re-organise our lives overnight. It is not easy being in a hospital in a foreign country. Although everyone speaks English in our hospital, it’s a totally different culture. It was great that Allianz had an agreement with the hospital and I did not have to worry about costs, treatments or anything else."
After six weeks, Amelie and her mother were able to go home and received nursing care twice a week, which was fully covered by Allianz.
Amelie is now 4 years old - a healthy and perfect child.
"What we are really thankful for and happy about is that we did not have to go through policy documents to check what treatment was covered and where. We did not have to worry about costs, treatments or even calling my insurance to get approvals."
