The world over a traveler in acute medical distress is certain to get immediate help from bystanders. The suffering person is not asked their nationality or political affiliation. It is an impulse deeply rooted in human nature. Think back to the prototypical example: the “Good Samaritan,” who stopped to assist someone who was clearly not of his own tribe (quite the opposite in fact). But in the case of a medical emergency abroad these days, the complications being after the appropriate authorities are summoned. Each country your employees visit will likely have a different notion of how to handle the situation, and it may begin to matter which country issued their passports. Which hospital will treat your employees? Will anyone there speak their language? Will their colleagues or family even be able to figure out where they’ve ended up for treatment?
Medical Emergency Abroad: Not a Good Time to Improvise
Because a medical emergency abroad can lead to a confusing set of questions about responsibility, it is an extremely good idea to devise a response before your employees travel overseas. Injured people are not generally not known for their ability quickly developing a solid and cogent “Plan B”. As a fall-back your country’s consulate is always a place to turn to for help. But this is not their primary mission. Better to arrange with an organization such as IMG which is solely dedicated to handling cases of medical emergency abroad. We maintain an extensive and up-to-date database of how to access to overseas medical services, know about the best medical facilities, and where to obtain vital prescription medications. Beyond incident response, IMG can also monitor and alert you to international health warnings and provide other services that meet your overseas medical security needs.
Learn More about Our Employee Risk Consulting Services
To learn more about how best to handle an employee medical emergency abroad, reach out to us and have one of our friendly staff explain more about the options.