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FEATURE


have access to best-in-class security information, advice, tracking and on-the-ground support. “That’s why MedAire is such an important part of the International SOS group”, explains Dr Pascal Rey- Herme, International SOS co-founder and Group Medical Director. “Together we can manage emergencies end to end, and in virtually any type of environment.”


Critical cases Take the 52-year-old able-bodied seamen who boarded a vessel bound for the Philippines. One week into his voyage he notified his crew he was ill with a cough, fever and chest discomfort. He had been ill for a week before boarding but hadn’t let anyone know. MedAire assessed the situation and highly suspected tuberculosis. The patient was then isolated and given medical advice and treatment recommendations from MedAire until he reached port. International SOS’ Philadelphia alarm center recommended a hospital when he arrived at port where he was found to indeed have tuberculosis. International SOS was instrumental in


locating and shipping TB


skin-test kits to the vessel so that the rest of the crew could be tested. International SOS continued to monitor the mariner through his subsequent eight- month hospitalization.


In another potentially critical case, on a flight between South Africa and the UK, one passenger was suffering ongoing chest pain. The captain had already begun sourcing diversion options when he decided to contact MedAire’s MedLink Global Response Center for advice. The MedLink specialist suggested connecting a telemedicine device in order to view the vitals of the passenger. Having not used or recently been trained in the device, the crew member had to be talked through successfully connecting and transmitting data via the device by the MedLink doctor. After reviewing the data together with information on the diversion destinations from International SOS’ local South African office, the MedLink doctor helped the captain make his decision to continue safely on to their original destination.


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Global expansion These are just two of the tens of thousands of cases MedAire deals with each year. Since its inception, the company has expanded from the United States to operate on a global basis with locations in Singapore, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Hong Kong and Switzerland, with more locations on the way. “As the specialist in our core markets, we ensure leadership through activities such as product research and development”, says Grant Jeffery, CEO of MedAire. The company’s end users – largely crew working on ships and planes, and their guests – have access to medical training from more than 60 MedAire instructors living in more than 15 countries. And its vast array of industry-compliant, custom medical equipment has been defined by its research and development team of medical and regulatory professionals and based on decades of statistics and ISO 9001 standards. MedAire is marking its 25-year anniversary by further enhancing local client support with global expansion efforts. A key part of its expansion strategy is to align with the growth of aviation and maritime markets in Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, as well as Central and Eastern Europe. “Our tagline is ‘Expert Care, Everywhere’, says Grant Jeffery. “It’s one which aligns seamlessly with the rest of International SOS’ services, and truly states our essence and our mission to our clients.” ■


“ Together we


can manage emergencies end to end, and in virtually any type of environment


Dr Pascal Rey-Herme ”


MedAire’s MedLink Global Response Center


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