Why local expertise is vital in medical emergencies across Zimbabwe

When an international traveller experiences a medical emergency in Zimbabwe, why is having a trusted local medical assistance partner as the first point of contact so critical to achieving the best outcome?

The country of Zimbabwe is mainly rural with limited infrastructure outside the two main cities. To put this into perspective, it is 5% larger than Germany, but whilst Germany has a network of 830,000km of paved roads, Zimbabwe has just 17,600km of paved roads, of which less than 3,000km are deemed to be in good repair. Only three airports have landing lights, much of the country is off grid and have no phone connectivity.

Medical care outside Harare and Bulawayo is limited or non-existent. Knowing what is available and where is essential. I recall a South African assistance company questioning the price of an ambulance road transfer, not realising that the patient was eight hours away by road and required a round trip of 16 hours!

 From your experience managing cases on the ground, what are some of the challenges international insurers and assistance companies face when they do not have an established local medical network in place?

Many tourists visiting Zimbabwe gravitate to the wildlife areas, which by their nature are often situated in remote regions. Not knowing what facilities are available in any area, the road conditions, the serviceability of any air strips makes it impossible to make informed decisions about appropriate responses.

How does local knowledge help speed up the process from the initial medical assessment and ambulance response through to hospital admission and ongoing case management?

A thorough knowledge of the road network and its state of repair and the state of any air strips is essential when planning whether to dispatch a fixed-wing aircraft, a helicopter or a ground ambulance. In addition, areas of the Eastern Highlands are over 8,000ft and in hot periods performance of helicopters can be a limiting factor.

Zimbabwe has just 17,600km of paved roads, of which less than 3,000km are deemed to be in good repair

Zimbabwe and many other African destinations attract tourists to remote safari and adventure locations. What additional considerations come into play when responding to medical incidents in these areas?

Some areas in Zimbabwe have a high incidence of malaria – a condition that has a plethora of presentations and a reputation for becoming critical very quickly. Zimbabwe has around 50 species of poisonous snakes and eight varieties of poisonous scorpions. Knowing where the most dangerous ones are and how the effects of their poisons present is valuable local knowledge.

 How can local medical assistance providers work more proactively with international insurers, assistance companies, travel agents, and tour operators to improve traveller safety and support?

Ever since Covid-19 there has been an increased awareness on the side of tourists concerning medical facilities. It is in the interests of Zimbabwean tourism for us to optimise our facilities. HAC has coordinated a network of rural doctors that can be called upon in the event of a medical emergency.

In addition to the safari camps where we have placed nurses, we conduct basic-toadvanced first aid training. To complement the training we provide a selection of first aid kits, from basic through to a comprehensive, combat-style kit. The earlier first aiders can start medical intervention, the better.

HAC offers EMR Tourist Packages. How can integrating medical assistance into tourism packages provide greater reassurance for both travellers and the organisations responsible for them?

Our Emergency Medical Response (EMR) was set up after we found that our biggest delay in responding to medical emergencies was delays in activation from insurance/ assistance companies.

Many tourists visiting Zimbabwe gravitate to the wildlife areas, which by their nature are often situated in remote regions

With EMR cover, not only can we respond immediately to any time-sensitive medical emergency but with the app that comes with the package we are able to establish the exact location to within three metres.

Looking ahead, what should insurers, assistance companies, and travel providers be doing now to strengthen their partnerships with trusted local medical assistance providers across Africa and improve outcomes for international travellers?

Streamlining decision-making to prevent delays in activation and improving communication so everyone has a clear understanding of the local issues when making the decisions.