A medical repatriation by Air Ambulance – from Athens, Greece to Los Angeles, USA
At EMS ambulance we specialise in long distance patient transport by road and through the air. Our team has repatriated people across countries, borders and continents. Intercontinental repatriations have their own requirements and challenges.
An unexpected turn for an American couple during a cruise
An American couple were enjoying a cruise around the Mediterranean together when their holiday took an unexpected turn and the husband fell ill on board the ship. His condition was such that when they arrived at their next scheduled stop, Athens, the husband and his wife were immediately taken to a local hospital. As they hadn’t planned on staying in Athens there were no arrangements in place for the wife to stay in the city as soon as the cruise ship left again.
Challenging circumstances lead to an urgent Air Ambulance request
It was a difficult situation: in a foreign country, not being able to understand the language or even read the alphabet, in a hospital environment with standards very different from back home. The couple got in touch to request an Air Ambulance to repatriate the husband back to LA. EMS responded by immediately making all the necessary preparations to bring them home.
Everybody on the plane
On an Air Ambulance flight it is not always possible to bring passengers as the patient’s condition can be such that they require multiple doctors to be on board, who need to be able to concentrate fully on the patient’s needs. Since the husband’s condition was not critical, his wife was able to accompany him on the Air Ambulance and they both arrived back in LA safely.
Our Air Ambulance Service – What’s involved?
When someone engages us to perform a repatriation by Air Ambulance, our team arranges the entire process from one hospital bed to the other. We liaise with the doctors on both ends and carry out our own medical assessment to ensure the patient is fit-to-fly. We arrange transportation to and from the airport and schedule refueling stops along the way.
We use a network of high quality private aircraft across the world. All the aeroplanes and helicopters we use have been specially modified to enable emergency care for a patient in transit. During the journey, we keep in touch with family and friends and keep them updated at each stage of the repatriation. We take care of all the necessary paperwork and take time to settle the patient into their new hospital environment. We only leave once we’re confident the patient is in safe hands.
Our repatriation services
At EMS we offer a wide range of repatriation services. If you have had an accident or fallen ill abroad and you want to go home, do contact us via phone, email, text or WhatsApp to discuss your situation and the possibilities available to you. We can provide an independent medical diagnosis, and we’ll get to work immediately to determine the safest and quickest way to bring you home.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Sebastian Clarke
Repatriation Consultant
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