Emergency medical evacuation to France.

Evasan stands for “Evacuation Sanitaire”, meaning sanitary or medical evacuation. When it comes to a medical evacuation, it implies the need for emergency medical care that cannot be provided to a patient in the country of residence. Thus, the organization of treatment should be immediate and accordingly, should be carried out as soon as possible. The patient can be transported using a medical plane, accompanied by a doctor, or by a regular flight himself, it all depends on the general condition of the patient and the recommendations of the doctors of the country of origin.

Usually, medical treatment abroad is not related to emergency patients or emergency medical care. Lack of proper and timely treatment should be life-threatening. When a patient decides to undergo the treatment abroad, he asks for a preliminary estimate, possibly an online consultation, prepayment is made to the clinic for reservation, and if necessary, documents for a visa are submitted. Most often, the patient himself goes directly to a representative or clinic.

In case of an emergency medical evacuation, there is usually no time for preparation. Therefore, for the fast organization of the patient's transportation, it is necessary to involve the doctor of the country from which the evacuation is carried out, the head of the department in France, the doctor at the embassy.

There is a fine line between urgent and necessary treatment that only health professionals can identify and appreciate. Therefore, some patients with cancer or heart problems may be denied medical evacuation. Despite the speed of organization, the patient file goes through several doctors, at least the sending, receiving and (if necessary) doctor of the embassy to confirm the urgency of the case and speed up the visa process.

The cost of emergency medical evacuations is quite high and therefore rarely requested by individuals. Most often, patients are either employee of large French companies or insurance clients.

Companies and insurers have doctors responsible for making decisions about the need for an evacuation, and if they confirm that the case is urgent and needs evacuation and assistance in France, they forward the case to the French organizer. The organizer, in turn, communicates directly with the head of the department to which the patient will be admitted, with the embassy and the transporter if necessary. Sometimes, the transporter himself is engaged in the organization of treatment, it all depends on the choice of the customer (doctor, company) and convenience in work, the presence of the necessary connections for a quick organization.

Private traders turn to the organizer directly since it is almost impossible to carry out an emergency evacuation to France without the intervention of the organizer. The organizers possess an already established scheme, they have the necessary contacts and trusting relationships. Medical evacuation organizers rarely work with private individuals, as an important element is often missing, namely the doctor who directs the patient and prepares the medical file. When organizing an emergency evacuation, an element such as a medical record and a complete medical history is a critical element. Incomplete dossiers, with files in different languages, are not considered by hospitals and clinics, the organizers know this and do not process low-quality requests.

On the market of so-called medical tourism (a term that the French categorically refuse to use) there are a lot of people who do not have medical education and medical ethics. Referring to such people can compromise the ability to receive medical treatment abroad. People who are far from medicine do not understand how to draw up a dossier and a request so that the doctor immediately understands what is at stake. Moreover, even when a specific treatment is requested, medical history and an appointment for this treatment are still sent. Unfortunately, many patients self-medicate and involve doctors in this, the emergence of the Internet and free circulation of information is not always a positive moment. Therefore, in order for the patients’ request to be considered and taken seriously, it is advisable that the request should be made by a doctor, the patients’ personal health professional, or a clinic doctor, who stated that it was not possible to provide assistance on the spot.

Miсkael Guignier, an organizer in France, working with large firms and insurance companies for a long time, admits that he has not been considering requests sent by individuals or companies intermediaries of the countries from which the patient is evacuated for a long time. ‘‘Our reputation and the connections that we have developed over the years with the embassies and medical institutions of France are very important to us. We cannot afford to send low-quality requests to our partners. To organize a medical evacuation, you need a complete medical file, the intention and ability to leave, and a guarantee of payment.''

These are large sums, since emergency cases and complex surgeries are mainly carried out in university hospitals. When examining a medical dossier, a French specialist will consider the highest level of risk and the least optimistic outcome. Next comes the cost of an escort during a flight or a medical plane, which can cost several times more than the treatment itself. The number of days of hospitalization cannot always be accurately estimated, therefore, they are considered “with a tail” for a guarantee.

However, French medical institutions only accept patients after prepayment with provisions. Prepayment is a necessary element for obtaining a visa.

“If the patient was sent by a partner with whom we have been working for a long time and without problems, to speed up the process we can make an advance payment for the patient or for a partner who pays for medical evacuation. If the client is a private person, the organization process will start only after full prepayment. When the hospital receives inquiries from our company, they already know that the application must be taken seriously, since the patient is urgent, ready to fly and the treatment will be paid for. ”- admits the person responsible for the medical evacuation to France, Mickael Guignier.

Yes, in some cases, but it is not enough to have French insurance, one must be a French citizen and the request should be made by a doctor to the French Embassy. Such evacuations are organized by the state of France. The application is reviewed by doctors at the embassy. Our company does not deal with this type of evacuation.

Contacts for organizing medical evacuation to France. Please pay attention that these contacts are intended exclusively for health professionals! +33 6 32 73 66 74