Medical Airlift

[egeefay]

I found this article on the internet

a Canadian citizen paralyzed from the neck down on July 12 in a motorcycle accident in Thailand - is scheduled to return home to Montreal on Oct. 4, his sister, Brigitte Mrvosh, said yesterday.

The longtime Montreal resident remains immobilized at Prince of Songkla University Hospital in Hat Yai, 930 kilometres south of Bangkok. He spends 21 hours a day on a respirator.

The need to bring him home and start rehabilitation triggered extended efforts by the family to arrange a medical airlift.

After an air-ambulance operator quoted a price of $157,000, his sister arranged the trip via Cathay Pacific Airways, at a cost of about $80,000.

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news...601&k=36453

I'm sure many foreigners living in Thailand have received serious injuries and required a medical flight back home. But $80,000 for a 10-18 hour flight??? Even with a respirator?? For that amount of money you could reserve a almost every seat in the first class section. Does anyone know why it costs so much?

Has anyone ever had to be flown back home on a stretcher for medical reasons?

Is $80,000 the cheapest rate?

Edited September 28, 2006 by egeefay

[Chang_paarp]

Special access to plane, customs. immigration....,

Health professional(s) to travel with patients,

Remove and replace seats.

Special permissions for drugs and equipment on plane.

Hire and return of equipment for evacuation.

Ambulance to and from airport.

Fares for people travelling with patient.

Just a couple of costs not included in the standard fare.

The other price was for hiring a specially equipped plane.

[jdinasia]

Very likely a charter flight

[PeaceBlondie]

That's good to know, for my novel. I estimated US$58,000 for Houston to Tokyo; I'll raise it to $78,000. No, wait, those are Canadian dollars...hey, I was pretty close!

[Nordlys]

An American friend of my mother who was a director at one of the reputable language school in Bangkok was airlifted back to U.S. after developing brain tumor and admitted to BNH hospital for nearly a month. I could be wrong but from what I've been told, the U.S. government paid for the cost of the medical airlift or at least had it arranged for him. My mother and his partner who were good friend of his were very impressive what U.S. government can do to help out its citizen in plight. Like Charng Paarp said, he was brought all the way to the doorstep of the plane by an ambulance and a doctor and a nurse accompanied him on his trip back to U.S. He subsequently died a few months later.

[Thaiquila]

I would be amazed if the US government normally pays for expensive medical airlifts for citizens. Injured military, well connected (who probably have medical evac insurance anyway), and perhaps victims of "terrorism" perhaps, but everyday people, I don't think so! If you are merely broke need a simple flight home, you can appeal for help to get home, but you will owe the money to the government. Another exception to get a free flight is to confess to a high profile murder.

Edited September 28, 2006 by Thaiquila

[fxm88]

Another exception to get a free flight is to confess to a high profile murder.

According to this article Mr. Karr's flight was not paid for by the US government but by the Boulder (Colorado) District Attorney's office: "An outline of expenses shows the 15-hour flight from Thailand, on which Karr sipped champagne, dined on fried king prawns and roast duck, cost the county $5,925." I've said it before and I'll say it again: Thank G_d for local government!