CASE STUDY: Transporting a three-year-old earthquake survivor

It was reported that one of the rescue teams had brought the boy to Adana City Hospital, although it was initially difficult to identify him, as he had lost his passport. We were alerted to the situation around five and a half hours after the second earthquake. At this stage, we stepped in and took full control of the case, coordinating every single action from start to finish. We faced various serious challenges, including Turkey occupying a fourth-level alert state, the understandably chaotic nature of the hospital, the complicated documentation process due to the boy’s lost identification, severe road conditions, and the excessive cold.

Planning the mission

Adana City Hospital – where the child patient was admitted after being rescued – was extremely hectic. When we finally managed to speak with the child’s mother, she was in a state of complete shock and was clearly emotionally distressed. Reaching the right people at the hospital was also extremely tough, as the communication infrastructure was damaged. Even when we managed to speak to hospital representatives, they were unwilling to share medical information due to the European Union’s (EU) general data protection regulation (GDPR) protocols. Over the next couple of hours, our Remed Assistance team worked relentlessly, making countless phone calls.

At 5:26 p.m. on 7 February, we managed to obtain clinical information from his doctor after various attempts and a great deal of effort. Unfortunately, his left upper thigh was fractured – what is known as a femoral shaft fracture – and he was suffering from crush syndrome, due to extensive muscle bruising. Luckily, his family members were not harmed. Crush syndrome occurs between two per cent and five per cent of people who experience physical trauma as a consequence of an earthquake. In addition, severe renal failure may occur in one and a half to two per cent of these cases. Although these rates might seem small, the case statistics may be much higher when the number of people trapped under collapsed buildings in an affected area is substantial.

The journey to Switzerland

Building strong relations with all the relevant parties involved in the repatriation process – such as local authorities, airport officials, and ambulance providers – is crucial. Although most of their work is out of our hands, they become considerably more flexible and cooperative if our relationship with them is positive. This can sometimes save hours, significantly impacting the repatriation case flow.

Judging by how busy the ambulances were after the earthquakes, it was likely that if we acted any later, they might have been fully booked. However, despite the continued aftershocks and the chaos, we managed to organise an advanced life support (ALS) ground ambulance, due to our excellent relations with local ambulance providers – including tarmac access, to transfer the boy and his family to Adana Airport.

After receiving the go-ahead, we coordinated with the relevant parties to transfer the entire family back to Switzerland, including the patient, his mother, father, and two siblings. Our relevant partner informed us they arrived home safely at 10:35 p.m. on 8 February. At such a difficult and unprecedented time, this large-scale operation was completed successfully in just two days, thanks to the immense experience and agility of Remed Assistance’s medical, operational, and provider management teams.

The extraordinary nature of this devastating disaster, and the complexity of this specific case, demanded that Remed Assistance go over and above the vital medical assistance service we provide to international patients and their family members. We are thankful to our global and local network for their hard work and support, enabling us to provide a high-quality and timely service to families in extreme circumstances.