Providing fast and effective medical repatriation for seriously ill seafarers combines the Group’s medical assistance and mutual management capabilities for the benefit of The Standard Club’s members.
In one case, a seaman was taken ill off the coast of Bangladesh. He was transferred to Dhaka for treatment following a serious heart attack. We advised on the case and arranged a transfer by plane equipped with oxygen and a doctor escort to repatriate the seaman home to Turkey.
The case was complicated by some areas of the country being rated as a high security travel risk. Our security colleagues provided security vetting of the hotel, a meet and greet for the doctor escort and safe escorted road transfers. They also arranged photo ID and a mobile phone number for the doctor to avoid the risk of mistaken identity or kidnapping.
The repatriation went smoothly, enabling the seaman to continue his recovery at home. Paola Regini-Barnes, Corporate Assistance Technical Team Leader, heads up those who provide dedicated support to The Standard Club. “Getting involved in cases early means we can offer direction on care and reduce hospital stay time, achieving cost savings. Our worldwide network of medical specialists means we can deliver service to the club anywhere in the world,” she said.