22.05.2020

Medical evacuation from bulk carrier
Global Voyager Assistance organized a medical repatriation of a sailor with complex heart problems from Nantes (France) to Istanbul (Turkey).

Last week a shipowner contacted GVA regarding assistance for a sailor who was hospitalized at the port of Nantes with the diagnosis of chronic heart failure and damage of the right coronary artery. The patient underwent recent stenting, which made the evacuation more complicated.

As a results of the COVID-19 pandemic there is an ongoing lack of suitably qualified medical personnel available in France. GVA doctors received the relevant permission from local authorities and personally escorted the patient in a ground ambulance from the hospital to an air ambulance in Nantes and then onboard the flight to Istanbul. Due to the pandemic restrictive measures, many airports in Turkey are closed. However in this emergency situation GVA was able to coordinate all parties involved and obtain the required permissions to land in Istanbul. On May 9th the sailor was hospitalized for ongoing specialized treatment.

GVA is doing its utmost to help the maritime industry in overcoming the complex challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently GVA assisted with an urgent repatriation of a sailor from Greece to Russia and organized the evacuation of the crew of a Russian dry cargo ship from South Africa.