The Polish Deputy Foreign Minister confirms an emergency evacuation is underway in Beijing to transport a 24-year-old student back to Poland, following complex negotiations over medical and airport protocol hurdles.
Diplomatic Intervention in Beijing
The Polish Secretary of State is currently in Beijing for the bilateral Strategic Dialogue. The case of the Polish student was raised at the highest diplomatic levels to facilitate her return.
Deputy Foreign Minister Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski stated that Chinese authorities granted flight and landing permits for a government aircraft quickly, expressing gratitude to his counterpart, Vice Foreign Minister Hua Chunying.
Challenges with Local Medical Logistics
Bartoszewski noted that organizing an evacuation outside the EU presents unique challenges. Chinese hospitals typically do not operate their own ambulances, and local vehicles often lack the specialized equipment required to transport a patient in a coma.
Negotiations were required to secure a vehicle at a specific time, as booking ambulances for precise hours is not standard practice. Furthermore, because local ambulances lack professional rescue crews, Polish doctors must enter the hospital to take charge of the patient directly.
Security and Procedural Barriers
Beijing airport security requirements posed another critical obstacle, with initial demands to transfer the patient to a different vehicle on the tarmac. After extensive talks, authorities allowed the hospital ambulance to proceed directly to the aircraft.
Bureaucratic procedures also caused delays during passport control on Tuesday. Although Polish tourists are visa-exempt, the crew of the special military flight arrived on official business, requiring the local border services to initiate non-standard, urgent clearance procedures.
Support and Ongoing Care
The Consular Department of the Polish Embassy in Beijing has been managing the case for a month, providing linguistic and logistical support to the student’s mother. The embassy has also acted as an intermediary for financial settlements between the family and the hospital.
Klaudia, 24, was diagnosed with an extremely rare complication following an ovarian teratoma while studying in China. Following her return, she is scheduled to be admitted to a military hospital in Wrocław.