We all want to enjoy ourselves when we’re on vacation around the world, but sometimes things don’t go smoothly. We may be injured, sick, stung by a poisonous animal and more. We don’t like to think about it, but the more prepared we are, the more relaxed we can be.
Medical flight is a quick way to transport a sick or injured person from country to country. The medical flight is always adapted to the patient’s condition and according to the recommendations of the accompanying doctor. A medical air transport can be carried out with the help of an air ambulance, air evacuation, a private plane or a flight in a commercial plane – and always accompanied by a professional medical team and life-saving equipment.
The first is in cases where we are in countries where the level of medicine is not high, and sometimes low. In such cases there is a difference of life and death between the treatment we will receive from the local medical system and the treatment we will receive when we return to home.
The second reason is the fact that even in cases where air medical evacuation is required even from countries where the level of medicine is as high as in Israel and sometimes even more, there are other factors why it is important to carry out the medical evacuation: High costs of the medical service in some countries, the need for long treatment that does not allow continuous support from family and friends who cannot move abroad for many months.
The third reason for medical flying is in cases where a patient must be flown abroad for treatment or surgery that cannot be administered in Israel but whose medical condition does not allow a normal commercial flight.
In all these cases and some others we choose the option of a medical flight to or from Israel.
There are several options for medical flying with their advantages and disadvantages:
Air ambulance:
A plane that functions solely as an ambulance just like a converted car. The air ambulance is used exclusively for medical flights.
Advantages: the level of equipment and compatibility to the task is high.
Disadvantages: There are not many air ambulances, so the aircraft is not always available.
Air evacuation by private plane:
In this case it is a private plane or even a commercial plane that flies especially as a medical flight. Not as part of a commercial flight, but rather the plane flies empty (except for the patient and the medical staff) and returns only with the patient who needs a medical flight.
Advantages: almost any aircraft can fit the mission
Medical flight on a commercial aircraft:
In this case, for the purpose of a medical flight, a number of seats in the rear of the aircraft are rented from an airline that flies a regular flight, which is not a medical flight only, they are removed and the patient who needs to be evacuated is placed there. He is separated from the other passengers by a curtain for privacy and medical confidentiality.
Advantages: since the plane flies anyway the cost is not as high as a private flight or an air ambulance
In conclusion: we all hope that we will never need a medical flight or air evacuation, and that all trips abroad will go smoothly without problematic events. However, if an unlikely event occurs and we need an air ambulance or any of the solutions we mentioned, we should know the options in order to choose the most suitable and best one. Have a safe and a healthy journey!
