Everything You Should Know About Commercial Medical Escort Services
Over the last decade, commercial medical escort services have grown in popularity. They are a highly reliable aid whenever you need to repatriate or fly in a sick or injured person, especially over longer distances.
Typically, a commercial medical escort service comprises medical personnel that offers medical assistance in transporting a patient by air (similar to the medical escort service/personnel a standard ambulance is usually accompanied by).
Why You Should Hire a Commercial Medical Escort Service
Air ambulance is the first thing that comes to mind when someone thinks about transporting an injured or sick person, especially over a long distance. This is usually an excellent option, but it can be overwhelmingly expensive for some.
Thanks to commercial medical escort services, air ambulances are not the only available option.
Commercial medical escort services provide a far less expensive solution to patients than hiring a private air ambulance. A private air ambulance would come with an entire dedicated medical staff team to attend to the patient during the flight.
It would also come fully fitted with a more sophisticated set of medical equipment and such. As you can imagine, all that equipment cost a lot.
With commercial medical escort services, patients receive nearly equivalent medical attention, even though they are being transported via a regular commercial flight.
This helps to reduce costs significantly. For instance, you do not have to worry about renting an entire plane, hiring a private pilot, paying for fuel, and so on.
A commercial medical escort service will doubtlessly provide you with the same level of medical attention and care through your transit, thanks to the presence of a commercial medical escort on the commercial flight.
Who is Eligible to Use a Commercial Medical Escort Service?
This service is virtually open to anyone in need. For best practices, a certified physician will have to evaluate the state of the patient, their medical condition, and the prevailing circumstances to decide whether they are fit to be transported via a regular commercial flight, in the company of a commercial medical escort.
Assessing the patient’s overall condition is critical to ensure the patient’s highest level of safety and other passengers on board. They must be stable enough for commercial flight without causing any significant disruptions to normal flight operations and other passengers.
How to Fly Patients Commercially with a Commercial Medical Escort Service
There are several ways to organize a commercial medical escort service for patients. Among them are two prevalent methods. They include:
First Class/Business Class
Because of the safety and convenience that this option lacks, it is hardly ever utilized. However, this option is much easier to organize, and it is offered on domestic and international flights. Here, the patient generally sits upright throughout transit. However, the seat(s) can be adjusted or reclined if the need should arise.
Stretcher
This option offers more convenience and so is the most frequently used. It is primarily available on international flights. The patient is placed on a stretcher (some aircraft seats may have to be taken out to accommodate the equipment), and a curtain may be used to barricade the patient for added privacy.
In a few instances, the airline may offer a separate medical pod on the airplane, specially designed to accommodate patients in need of such assistance.
Conclusion
Commercial medical escort services are an excellent means to evade the stressful arrangements of hiring a private air ambulance. Patients are provided with equivalent medical attention at less than half the cost.
A commercial medical escort has extensive training in handling all airport transportation arrangements and more. With commercial medical escort services, patients can safely receive any necessary medical care and assistance during transit until they arrive at their destination.
