In 2009, a young woman embarked on a girls' trip to Corfu, Greece, expecting a classic rite of passage holiday. Instead, she ended up in a hospital ward after being flagged by heat-sensitive cameras at Greek passport control, which detected her high temperature due to the growing swine flu pandemic.
Rushed away in an ambulance, she was left alone in a room with no air conditioning, sweating through the sheets. Medical staff, hampered by a language barrier, could only say 'Oh shit!' as they attempted to draw blood, leaving her with puncture wounds and a black bruise. Unidentified pills and injections were administered, with used syringes left on her bedside table.
Her friends eventually tracked her down, calling up to her from the car park below the window. She was required to take her own temperature and shout it through the door. After being moved to a public ward, she remained on an unnecessary drip, making mobility difficult as she carried the drip stand to bathrooms that doubled as smoking areas.
Never learning what was wrong with her, she was discharged with medical notes written entirely in Greek. She did finally reach the resort, but had to stay in the shade, unable to enjoy the cocktails she had anticipated.
