If you live, work or are travelling within East Africa (Kenya Uganda and Tanzania), Rwanda and Burundi (anywhere within a maximum of 1000 Km’s of Nairobi) it is extremely useful to become a member of the Flying Doctors Society of Africa. Medical facilities outside cities are few and far between and many rural hospitals do not have facilities for critical care. In the case of a medical emergency, getting to a well equipped hospital fast with expert care in transit could mean the difference between life and death. As a member of the Flying Doctor Society of Africa you are entitled to free evacuation service in case of a life threatening emergency that would necessitate the use of the Flying Doctors to transport you to a medical facility in Nairobi.

The evacuation can be undertaken up to 500 or 1,000 kilometers radius of Nairobi depending on the type of membership you have taken. Members will receive a membership card with our emergency numbers, car stickers and 24 hour access to the Flying Doctor Society of Africa Emergency Centre for medical advice. In addition, if you do not use your membership for an evacuation in any given year, your contribution goes to evacuate somebody who urgently needs medical attention who cannot afford it. Read about our charity evacuations and outreach programmes.

Our Emergency Contact Center operates 24 hours, 365 days a year. Full time medical staff and aircrew are on standby to respond to emergencies. In case of a medical emergency that requires an evacuation from a remote area, the Flying Doctors Society will send in a medical team and an aircraft which can be converted into an airborne intensive care unit to evacuate you to Nairobi from where you will be transported by an ambulance to a hospital in Nairobi (the Flying Doctors do not cover the cost of hospitalization)

INFORMATION:

To have this information ready when calling the Flying Doctors will help to facilitate an appropriate and fast response and/or medical advice.

I. GENERAL INFO

1. Your location and contact, telephone number/radio frequency.
2. Number of patient(s).
3. Name, age and sex of patient(s).
4. Are they a Flying Doctors’ Society member (if so give membership number; employer if a corporate member and/or tour company if a tourist)

II. MEDICAL INFO

• General nature of the problem, e.g. car accident, a fever, a collapse, an assault, etc., the time it occurred or duration of the illness.
• Is the patient conscious or unconscious?
• Is the patient breathing?
• Does the patient have a pulse?
• Is the patient confused (do they know their name and where they are)?
• Is the patient in pain (where is the pain)?
• Is the patient bleeding (where are they bleeding and how much)?
• Is the patient able to walk (with support or without)?

III. LOCATION OF THE PATIENT(e.g. hospital, health centre or lodge, home, at site of accident.)

• If the patient is in a hospital/health centre request the medical person in charge to talk to us direct or get a medical report for us (diagnosis, general condition, vital signs, treatment).
• If the patient is at a lodge, at home or still on site of the accident, what First Aid treatment has been given (if any) and by whom?

IV. AIRSTRIP

• Which is the nearest airstrip?
• Condition of the airstrip (tarmac, dirt, grass)? Lighting facilities?
• Weather report (rain, heavy cloud, clear sky)?
• Is transport to the airstrip available, yes or no?
• How many people will accompany the patient on the flight?

NB* The Flying Doctors can assist in arranging hospital accommodation but are NOT responsible for hospital bills. A Ground ambulance will be provided by the Flying Doctors in Nairobi and is included in the cost of our response.