Who can be medically evacuated
- Internationally recruited staff members and their dependent family members may be evacuated from the duty station or mission area at United Nations expense if urgent, essential medical care or treatment cannot be secured locally because of inadequate medical facilities.
- A family member may travel with the evacuee where there is a medical need for an escort, but that escort does not need to be medically qualified.
- If an acute life-threatening medical emergency occurs for a locally recruited staff member or his/her eligible dependant, medical evacuation will be considered when the available local facilities do not offer an adequate response to the medical emergency.
How medical evacuation is arranged
Heads of departments or offices away from Headquarters can approve a medical evacuation based on the recommendation of the UN medical officer. If you need medical evacuation it will usually be arranged by a UN medical officer in your location, or by your HR office working with your treating physician, and in cooperation with Medical Services Division in New York. It will take place as soon as it can be arranged and approved by the appropriate financial authority in your location (often the Resident Representative or Coordinator).
Medical evacuation is usually to the nearest recognized regional medical centre from the list of facilities maintained by the UN Medical Director. In cases of illness or injury requiring a long period of convalescence, psychiatric condition or high-risk pregnancies the medical evacuation will be to the country of home leave or the country of family leave travel. Please note that medical evacuation covers only travel and related expenses. It is not an authorisation for medical treatment costs.
Returning to the duty station
The medical evacuation will be approved for a limited number of days initially. By the end of this time you will have to submit documents from your treating physician as to your condition. If MSD determines from these that you still require further treatment in the evacuation location, your evacuation may be extended. Once you can return to you duty station however, you will be asked to do so, even if you are still unable to return to work itself.
Within two weeks of return of the evacuee to the duty station, a complete medical report from the attending physician at the place of evacuation must be sent to the Medical Service where the staff member’s file is kept, and to the United Nations Medical Director. If there is a need for follow up care MSD will make a decision about how to proceed, often recommending suitable follow up with a more accessible practitioner.