Air Ambulance evacuation from Afghanistan during COVID-19

Overview

International SOS provided medical evacuation support to a Kenyan national with pulmonary embolism from Afghanistan during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Service: Medical Evacuation
Location: Kandahar, Afghanistan

Problem

Our client reached out to us for a medical evacuation of a 46 year old Kenyan national as concerns grew over his illness. The patient, who was suffering from pulmonary embolism, was admitted at a military medical facility in Kandahar, Afghanistan. With many travel restrictions still in place across the Middle East, frustrations emerged as it was not possible to evacuate the patient to a regional centre.

Solution

After the situation was explained to us, we made sure to have a Kenyan based air ambulance provider help with the process for securing the necessary permission from the health authorities. We were also able to secure overnight accommodation in Kandahar to allow the mandatory crew rest for the air ambulance crew.

Impact

The impact was very positive as the patient was safely admitted to the receiving medical facility. Utilising the Kenyan based air ambulance had a logistical and financial benefit for both the patient and client.