Sometimes we take our health for granted. We work hard, we play hard, we get a good rest… and then we do it all over again. But it can take an unseen toll on us and that’s when our body says, “Enough!” – and that moment can happen without warning.
“Health insurers need to know about pre-existing conditions to help them work out cover,” explains Graham Lambert, founder of Aeroworx, a company that specialises in emergency medical evacuation in the African subcontinent. The insurance companies will also look at age, lifestyle, whether someone smokes or not and a host of other factors.
“But defining a pre-existing condition can be very difficult,” says Graham, “especially with heart conditions. Just because someone has high blood pressure and may even be on medication, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are susceptible to a stroke.”
Graham recalls an incident where an Australian consultant working for the United Nations in South Sudan presented himself at a clinic with breathing problems and severe pain. It soon became apparent he had suffered a heart attack.
“He smoked but nothing that would cause concern and he had no conditions in the past, so this was completely out of the blue,” recalls Graham. “The insurance company wanted to know if there were any pre-existing conditions, but there was nothing.
“We moved swiftly and flew him out of South Sudan and got him transferred to a great hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. He had the necessary surgery – angioplasty to widen the blocked blood vessel – was there for just two days before he was given the OK and able to go back to work.”
It’s the kind of rapid response that Aeroworx thrives on and is well-known for. For organisations such as the United Nations, Aeroworx is a very economical way of ensuring that if any of their people in Africa suffer a serious medical issue, they will be flown quickly to a top-of-the-range hospital and receive emergency treatment.
Aeroworx service starts at just $30 per month per person. Without Aeroworx membership, that flight from South Sudan to Nairobi would cost the United Nations at least $15,000. For an organisation that likes to make the most of every dollar, choosing Aeroworx is one of the most straightforward decisions the United Nations can make.
