International Maritime assistance, Ambulance,  Event Medical Cover, Drug and Alcohol Testing, International Medical Assistance, Emergency Evacuation, Pre Employment Medical Testing.

Late in January a call was received from one of our clients to rapidly move a critically ill patient from hospital in Cartagena, Columbia to a specialist facility in Miami, Florida, USA.

 

The call was received shortly after six in the evening and the patient was reported to be very critical and declining rapidly despite the best efforts of the medical team in Columbia. He was suffering from a number of serious complaints resulting in massive haemorrhage and required urgent specialist treatment.

 

The MRI team swung into action and an air ambulance was dispatched immediately through our worldwide network, whilst urgent arrangements were made with United States authorities who reacted swiftly and helpfully to gain the patient admission to the United States on an emergency visa.

 

Six hours later, the patient was receiving specialist treatment in the US. The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in the US then contacted us as the illness initially resembled the dreaded ebola virus and the air ambulance and medical were immediately quarantined (Despite the fact that the highly trained air ambulance crew had practised “barrier nursing” techniques!). Fortunately, the efficiency of the CDC operation ensured that the virus was quickly identified and ebola as well as other deadly haemorrhagic viruses ruled out.

Remote facilities may not have the ability to deal with serious and rapidly advancing viral infections

An emergency call for an air ambulance—with the patient transferred from Cartagena to Hospital in Miami in six hours.. Including visas!

Date: November 2008