When there is an emergency, the time is critical and the distance to be covered is huge, nothing can beat medical air services; in other words an air ambulance. However, when time is not a critical factor and the patient’s condition demands special attention while travelling long distances, there are cheaper alternatives to medical air services. The foremost of these that comes to mind is medical escort service. Here, we discuss what it is all about, and how it can help patients and their families with appropriate medical care while keeping the costs at bay.
When a Patient is in need of Non-emergency Medical Air Services
The patient is taken via a commercial airline but along with a qualified medical professional who can take care of the patient in the event of an emergency. Basic life support equipment is on-boarded along with the patient. Usually, a first-class space is booked for the patient. The family members too can comfortably travel along. However, advice of the physician must be sought beforehand to ensure that the patient is stable enough for such medical air services. Also, the complete medical report of the patient must be provided to the agency that offers the medical escort service.
The Services Offered by a Good Medical Escort Agency
A good medical escort agency will offer to arrange ground ambulance to and from the airport and arrange transport to the aircraft via a wheelchair or, if required, a ground ambulance. Other logistics such as ensuring that the patient has a bed ready and waiting at the receiving facility should also be taken care of.
The agency should have specialist escorts who specialize in specific fields of medical care. This is necessary because, the care requirements vary depending on the medical condition of the patient, which could be behavioral, neurological, orthopedic, cardiac, geriatric and so on.
The cost of the service is entirely dependent on the distance, service charges and the urgency of the situation.
