Healix International has launched what it claims to be a “one-of-a-kind” layered risk assessment tool designed to enable business travel within a pandemic.
A spokesman for Healix said that “COVID Travel Safe” will provide “instant assessments of the medical and logistical risks posed by each and every unique proposed travel itinerary”.
The move is part of Healix’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as the international medical assistance provider carries out testing for patients in some of the most remote locations around the world, as well as securing an “isolation pod transfer” of positive patients and securing intensive care admissions during a pandemic both within and outside of the UK.
There has also often been “delicate negotiation required behind the scenes” for diplomatic permits to allow access into a country, the spokesman said.
Mike Webb, CEO of Healix International added that since mid-March there has been a “multifaceted sequence of events” that not only changed daily, but “pushed us into unknown territory when it comes to repatriation”.
He said: “Borders closed in a domino effect across the world, aircrafts were unable to land to retrieve patients as a result and additional bureaucratic hurdles needed to be jumped.
“A typical day could comprise repatriation challenges for patients in India, Afghanistan, Iraq, DRC, Somalia and South Sudan.
“The complexity of each case is so individualised; based on location, nationality and capabilities of the local provider, each case demanding undivided focus and attention that have seen 12-hour days disappear in a flash.”
Webb said that one thing the pandemic highlighted was that collaboration is “crucial”. He said: “Effective teamwork, a multipronged approach reaching across our provider network, together with diversity and forward thinking, allowed us to repatriate/evacuate patients safely.
“Our teams are highly experienced individuals and are well versed in delivering a service in challenging circumstances.
“While the pandemic has brought us new logistical challenges, our clients also had the assurance we are always working within the UK government’s guidance as well as those of the specific client and country, to ensure the safety and health of all involved.”