Semesur Assistance's extensive experience in medical escort services enables us to provide fast, efficient, and safe patient transfers from origin to destination.

Suffering an injury or becoming ill while away from home can be one of the most stressful experiences during a trip. You are outside your comfort zone, often surrounded by people who speak a different language, and faced with an unexpected medical condition that has interrupted your plans. At that moment, the priority is to stabilise your condition so that you can either continue your trip safely or return home as quickly as possible.

That is precisely the purpose of Semesur Assistance's Medical Escort Service: to provide the highest standards of medical care during your travels and ensure the safe repatriation of injured or ill patients. Thanks to decades of experience, our highly qualified medical and operational teams organise and manage every stage of the transfer, from the patient's location to their final destination.

The process begins when your insurance company contacts us. If you do not have travel insurance, or are unable to reach your insurer, you can contact our professional team directly. We will find the most appropriate solution, either by coordinating with your insurance provider or by arranging the service privately in the fastest and most efficient way.

The first step is a comprehensive medical assessment (triage) carried out by our physicians. Medical reports are reviewed, when available, to determine the patient's condition and establish the safest and most appropriate method of treatment or repatriation. Before any journey begins, our medical team confirms that the patient is fit to travel.

The majority of repatriations involve traumatic injuries, particularly fractures, although we also regularly assist patients recovering from cardiovascular conditions. Respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia are another common reason for medical escorts, although these cases tend to be more temporary in nature.

Once the patient's condition has been assessed, Semesur Assistance determines the most suitable transport option, choosing between an Air Ambulance or a Medical Escort on a scheduled commercial flight.

Air Ambulance

An air ambulance is a fully equipped medical aircraft offering the same level of care as a Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU). Each flight is staffed by an experienced physician and nurse specialising in aeromedical transport, allowing critically ill patients to travel under continuous advanced medical supervision.

Medical Escort on a Commercial Flight

Depending on the patient's condition, several travel options are available:

  • Business Class – The patient travels in Business Class accompanied by a physician, nurse, or full medical team, together with all the medical equipment required throughout the journey.

  • Economy Class – Suitable for patients who are medically stable and able to travel seated in Economy Class while being accompanied by a physician, nurse, or medical team.

  • Extra Seat Arrangement – Two or three seats are reserved to provide additional space for patients with orthopaedic injuries, such as lower-limb fractures, who must keep a leg extended or require greater comfort during the flight. Medical staff accompany the patient whenever necessary.

  • Stretcher Service – Patients who cannot travel seated or reclining—such as those with hip, spinal, or femur fractures—can be transported on an airline stretcher installed inside the aircraft cabin. A vacuum mattress is frequently used to ensure complete immobilisation and minimise movement throughout the journey. These transfers always require continuous medical supervision by a physician, nurse, or full medical team.

Advanced Medical Equipment

Our medical escort service combines highly qualified professionals with state-of-the-art medical technology.

One example is the Inogen One Portable Oxygen Concentrator, designed for patients requiring supplemental oxygen during flight, delivering up to four litres per minute. This equipment is fully approved by international civil aviation authorities for use on commercial aircraft. All patients cared for by Semesur Assistance have access to this technology whenever medically necessary, at no additional cost.

Cost Containment

While patient safety is always our highest priority, Semesur Assistance also places great emphasis on cost containment. Before any operation begins, we prepare a detailed quotation for either the insurance company or private client. Once the service has been completed, the final costs are carefully reviewed to ensure accurate and transparent billing based solely on the services provided.

Operational Planning

Once the quotation has been approved, the operation begins immediately.

Approximately 24 hours before departure, our medical team visits the patient at the hospital, home, or accommodation—anywhere in the world—to explain every stage of the journey, confirm travel arrangements, and reassess the patient's medical condition.

Whenever the patient is hospitalised, our physician also communicates directly with the treating medical team to ensure continuity of care. If the patient has already been discharged and is staying at a hotel or private residence, the corresponding discharge documentation is reviewed.

Meanwhile, Semesur Assistance's in-house travel agency arranges every aspect of the journey, including flights, airline medical clearances, and any special travel authorisations required. Having this service within our own organisation allows us to offer greater flexibility, immediate ticket issuance, and access to the most suitable flight options.

Special assistance is also coordinated at both departure and arrival airports so that passengers with reduced mobility can move comfortably between the ambulance, airport facilities, and aircraft without unnecessary inconvenience.

Continuous Medical Care

Throughout the operation, real-time updates are provided to the patient's insurance company or designated family representative.

The patient is transported to the selected airport using the most appropriate medical vehicle. During the flight, the accompanying physician or nurse continuously monitors the patient's condition and provides any necessary treatment.

Upon arrival, the same level of care continues until the patient has been safely transferred to the receiving hospital or final destination. Medical documentation and clinical reports are handed directly to the receiving healthcare professionals, formally completing the medical escort service.

More Than 27 Years of Experience

Nothing in a medical repatriation is left to chance.

With more than 27 years of experience, Semesur Assistance carefully plans every stage of the operation to ensure that each transfer is carried out as quickly, safely, and comfortably as possible.

Our entire team combines medical expertise, operational efficiency, and genuine compassion to transform one of the most difficult situations a traveller can experience—becoming ill or injured abroad—into a safe and comfortable journey home.