Overview
International SOS successfully evacuated a critically ill patient for a Malaysian listed plantation company during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was diagnosed with cancer and had to be evacuated from Malaysia to Indonesia.
Problem
We received a call from our client, a multi-national plantation-based company. They were requesting medical support to evacuate their plantation worker back to Lombok, Indonesia. The patient, a 46-year-old male, was diagnosed with cancer. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the client faced unprecedented challenges. International borders have just been closes. They had to care for a bedridden patient. They needed to attain optimal transportation and in-flight medical care by certified escort medical specialists. Finally, they required approvals to travel from various authorities in both countries – Malaysia and Indonesia.
Solution
Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta Assistance Centres were activated immediately for ground and air ambulance arrangements. There was coordination with the local hospital and local authorities. Such coordination allowed to gather medical reports, travel documents, and flight and landing permits from both countries. With our experience in medical evacuation, all required documentation submitted met the requirements for prevention and control of COVID-19. Such protocol is imposed by the Ministry of Health of both countries, Malaysia & Indonesia. We received all clearances from the health authorities, the immigration offices and the aviation authorities in less than 4 days. On the day of the evacuation, the Assistance team in Kuala Lumpur:
- ensured smooth ground ambulance transfer from hospital to airport
- assisted the bedridden patient in immigration clearance at 3 airports – Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Lombok
- ensured the patient handover to our Jakarta air ambulance’s escort team at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Impact
The impact was very positive. The patient arrived safely to their home country and reunited with his family in the shortest time possible. We were able to provide high-quality care during the whole process. Ultimately, we supported our client in fulfilling their Duty of Care for their worker in a challenging business environment.