Remote Medical Evacuations: Logistics and Challenges

Judd’s story highlights the risks associated with RMEs. Namely, remote zones can lack the infrastructure needed to conduct extractions via land, sea, or air (a). First and foremost, sea evacuations are bound by access to bodies of water and the ability to dock extraction vessels near the site of an accident. Environmental factors take on a degree of importance, as a narrower body of water or adverse weather may restrict the Medical Evacuation service from utilizing larger, more well-equipped vessels or, in rare cases, force them to delay or forgo maritime rescue entirely (2). Case in point, the US Department of State has identified navigability and access to medical infrastructure within the DRC – which has river connections to the Atlantic Ocean – as key travel risks (3). Air evacuations are similarly bound by access to a suitable landing area and weather conditions (4). Finally, ground evacuation can require access to adequate roads or otherwise necessitate travel through poor road infrastructure (b). As Judd’s story shows, ground evacuation on poorly paved roads and through remote areas can be long and painful (5) (c). Overall, these conditions mean that RMEs can take hours or even days, with potential for further logistical complications.