National Medical Transport Services – What Are Your Options?

Every second, every day, several people are in dire need of medical assistance. Nurses, doctors, and caregivers frantically help to save and improve the lives of patients battling with several health issues. However, the heroes that often go unnoticed in this race to save lives are the team of medical personnel that convey the patients to and from these medical facilities. These people play a crucial part in the medical industry as they essentially help to bridge the gap between life and death.

But what are your options with regards to medical transportation and which is “perfect” for you? Below is a list of the main types of national medical transport services:

Ambulance

Ambulances are the most popular mode of transporting patients by road. Furthermore, they are ubiquitous on most highways and major cities as they attend to a series of emergency calls necessitating them to convey people to the nearest medical facility or hospital for medical attention. Trained paramedics escort ambulances and help take care of patients right from the scene of the call and also during the ride to the medical facility. Countless lives are saved every day thanks to the extensive training and dedication of the medical team on ambulances.

Air Ambulance

Air ambulances are used to transport patients that require urgent medical attention. They are also used for the repatriation of patients from long distances or medical evacuations. Similar to regular ambulances, an air ambulance is also accompanied by an onboard paramedic/medical team to ensure that the transported patient is being taken care of and ready to receive any necessary treatment on arrival.

Non-Emergency Transport

Thankfully, not everybody is in urgent need of medical attention. Regardless, there are still patients that have medical appointments, a trip to a medical care facility, etc.

And cannot afford to use standard transportation or go unaided due to a prevailing medical condition. Instances like this require that the patient uses a non-emergency transport service. This kind of medical transport service can almost be likened to a medical taxi service. Similar to ambulatory services, non-emergency transport is also a door-to-door service, but it essentially frees up resources to help standard ambulances cater to medical emergencies.

Commercial flights

Most people may not be aware of this, but commercial airlines can also be a form of medical transportation. Usually, this comes in the mode of grants – where commercial airlines offer free tickets to eligible patients and their caregivers. However, there is a strict process that regulates patients qualified to use this service. Non-profit hospitals are favored recipients of this grant from airlines, and they, in turn, decide which patients are eligible for the service. This form of medical transport is a welcomed effort by willing airlines and charitable organizations looking to offer medical transportation to patients who would typically be unable to afford it.

Listed above are some of the most popular modes of national medical transportation. Some of them may still include several sub-niche medical transport services. Unfortunately, there is no “perfect” medical transport service, as the ideal one for you will depend mainly on the severity of the medical condition, your budget, and accessibility.