On Call International helps organizations and their travelers take a proactive and holistic approach to not only managing emergencies when they arise—but also planning for and even preventing them before they happen. Tune in each month to see how On Call International helps with travel problems, big and small, every day:
This Month: Traveler Needs Cardiac Intervention While Cruising
Tom* was on a cruise with his wife Patti when he experienced severe chest pain and shortness of breath. He went to see the ship’s physician, who diagnosed him with acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) and congestive heart failure. The physician told the couple that Tom would need immediate cardiac intervention, but there was another problem—the next port, Ocho Rios, Jamaica, did not have cardiac catheterization capabilities.
On Call to the Rescue
Luckily, the couple purchased an On Call travel assistance membership before they left for their trip, which Patti mentioned to the ship’s physician. The physician contacted On Call to arrange for an air ambulance with a full medical team to assume care of Tom as soon as the ship docked. Due to the severity of the situation, On Call recommended that Tom receive care at the nearest hospital capable of treating his condition.
After arrival in Ocho Rios, the air ambulance team was waiting for Tom. With his wife by his side, Tom was transferred to a cardiac hospital in southern Florida where a cardiac catheterization was done. Unfortunately it revealed that he needed immediate surgery due to the severity of the blockages in his heart. Tom’s open heart surgery took place the next day.
Home Safe and Sound
Once Tom had recuperated enough to begin rehabilitation, he was transferred to his home hospital in Kentucky via commercial flight with his wife and a nurse escort provided by On Call. The nurse cared for Tom during the return flight and helped him safely through admission to his home rehabilitation hospital.
*Names have been changed to protect traveler privacy.
Want to learn more about On Call’s proactive and holistic travel risk management solutions? Contact us today.
