Case Study Sep

When your company does not have an adequate medical programme in place, costs can escalate along with increased employee sick time and lowered productivity.

In Dakar, Senegal – a new-born was in urgent need of surgery for an acute condition. Any surgical treatment of a month-old baby is challenging – but this case was made significantly more so, in Africa.

An employee of Group Five, a leading African construction, concessions and manufacturing group, had been admitted to a hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with malaria.

An employee of Group Five, a leading African construction, concessions and manufacturing group, had been admitted to a hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with malaria.

American mother who had learnt that her 19 year old daughter had been involved in a motorbike accident some hours earlier in Kedonganan, Bali. Her daughter, who was a college student on a school trip to Bali, had been admitted to a local hospital with serious leg and hip injuries. The hospital was asking for payment before treating her daughter’s injuries and were unwilling to accept the mother’s credit card payment from the US.

A 12-year-old Japanese boy was enjoying his holiday with his family when he lost consciousness in the sea off Langkawi Island, Malaysia. His family were unable to speak the language and did not have the sufficient funds for medical expenses. Our evacuation of the child to a medical facility that was able to treat him meant he was able to regain consciousness after a week’s coma.

Seadrill is a leading off-shore drilling contractor, providing rigs for the oil and gas industry. It currently employs around 7000 people and has a fleet of 68 offshore drilling rigs.

Every business needs to consider the health of its employees as part of its duty of care. RBS has been working with International SOS for some time to develop its Occupational Health delivery.

A Swiss employee on assignment contacted one of our Assistance Centres as she was having difficulty coping with her new post in the Czech Republic.

On the evening of 15 July 2016, a faction of the Turkish military launched a failed military coup against the government of President Erdoğan. At least 294 people were killed and more than 1,500 were injured in clashes between opposing military factions, police and protesters.

On 14 January 2016, terrorists set off a series of explosions in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. A gunbattle then ensued; injuring 20 people and killing 4. During and after the incident, we were able to provide our clients with essential updates and advice, sourced from our on-the-ground team of security experts.

On 7 July 2016, five government soldiers were killed during a checkpoint shootout in Juba. Overnight it had escalated into a full resumption of hostilities between the Sudan People's Liberation Army and Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition.

A member about to travel to Sierra Leone – did not have enough time to complete the full rabies course. Concerned, he called our Assistance Centre for advice.

In September 2015, a military coup was launched in Burkina Faso. The coup was successful in seizing control of Ouagadougou, the country's capital. Running out of malaria medication whilst on business travel can be very stressful, especially if the country of travel is a malaria high risk zone. This situation was worsened for one member when the country suddenly experienced the coup, therefore heightening personal security risk and vulnerability.

On 20 November 2015 terrorists attacked an internationally recognised hotel chain in Bamako, capital of Mali. They took 170 hostages and killed 20 in a mass shooting. Throughout the day, our crisis management teams in Paris and London provided essential advice to clients. Our unique operations network meant we were able to maintain contact with clients and members affected and coordinate the response accordingly. Control Risks' embedded crisis management resource further enabled the effectiveness of support.

Running out of your medication is a major concern – particularly if you have a chronic condition and you’re working overseas. It makes sense to ensure you have sufficient supplies before traveling, particularly as pharmaceutical stocks vary widely around the world. However, if you forget, lose or run out of your prescription, International SOS can often help.

When your company needs to understand the full medical risks of a remote project, requires on-the-ground medical support and equipment, and necessitates a customised evacuation plan, it can be daunting. This is exactly what an international oil and gas company required to support their geological exploration and drilling expedition in Mauritania. Project manager, Javier Artime, commissioned International SOS to provide medical support for the seven-month project.

More and more people are traveling overseas with medical equipment that they need to survive. If this equipment is lost or malfunctions, it is critical to find a replacement as soon as possible. The case study below describes how we were able to rapidly locate and replace lost medical equipment for a member.

At many remote mining and drilling sites in addition to the employees and contractors living and working onsite, there may be several communities living nearby. This case study shows how effective malaria control for a work site accounts for the broader population around the project through vector control and health promotion programs. It addresses the employer’s corporate and social responsibility obligations while helping meet productivity targets.

A 56 year old British gentleman was on a Mediterranean holiday cruise with his wife when he started feeling unwell. Because the ship’s doctor became concerned that the patient’s symptoms were related to a cardiac problem, the patient and his wife were disembarked at the next port, a Corsican town called Ajaccio. He was admitted to the local public hospital and then moved by air ambulance to a private specialist unit in Marseilles on the mainland.