1. Volunteer - Seek medical advice - If able, seek medical advice from a UN-designated physician. Physician may certify the need for medical evacuation and if an accompanying nurse, doctor, or family member is justified on medical grounds.
2. UN-designated physician - Forward medical report to UN Medical Services - Send complete medical report (including MS39) without delay to UNOG Medical Services to authorize evacuation.
Email address: unogmedicalevacuations@un.org
cc. unogmedicalservice@un.org
Follow-up telephone call to UN Medical Services to confirm approval of medical evacuation if required. Medical information is confidential and should not be shared with non medical professionals
2.1. For COVID19 MEDEVAC cases organized directly by UNV, UNV personnel is to keep using unogmedicalevacuations@un.org as a point of contact. UNOG ensures coordination with the UN MEDEVAC Cell It is advised to also contact the respective COVID19 Country Coordinator to inform her/him about the evacuation.
UN MEDEVAC Cell for COVID-19 infected UN personnel and dependents was established. The UN MEDEVAC Cell provides a single-window for all UN entities that have personnel or partners in need of COVID-19 related medical evacuations anywhere in the world and it builds upon the existing capacities of WHO, DOS and WFP. It provides global 24/7 coverage for all UN entities with a full range of medical and air asset coordination services and full visibility over all relevant medical and airframe assets that exist across the UN system. All COVID-19 related medical evacuations are arranged solely through the UN MEDEVAC Cell, which can be reached 24/7 at unmedevac@who.int (Tel: +41 22 791 5555). It is however not to be contacted directly by individuals.
3. Host Entity (HE) - Inform UNV - Ensure updated documents and contacts are available
- Alert RO and FU of possible medical evacuation via email.
- Make sure volunteer’s documents and details are on file (passport, mobile phone number)
4. P A/CC/RPS - Complete request medevac task in UVP - Complete request medevac task in UVP to notify OA VM
5. OA VM - Complete task - Acknowledge receipt of task medical information by completing task in UVP
6. UNOG JMS - Authorize medevac - Authorize evac, duration and accompanying person (if applicable). UNOG confirms if they will be directly organizing the
evacuation
7. OA VM - Inform UN Volunteer of approved medical evacuation - Remind volunteer to make an appropriate medical appointment with treating physician prior to his/her departure to avoid unnecessary stay at the place of medical evacuation
8. UNOG JMS/UNDP Operations Manager - Arrange medevac- Only in cases when UNOG doesn’t arrange medevac directly, arrange medevac as per UNDP procedure.
Note: Depending on the country, UN agencies funds and programmes can utilize Mission air assets (if a mission country), UN Humanitarian Air Service flights, LTAs with local air transport company or SOS International (see note in next column).
Charges related to such evacuation are paid by the host entity. UNDP processes these charges based on authorization sent by UNV HQ.
Important note: The UNDP Country Team may use a local provider but can also activate UNV’s contract with International SOS. International SOS provides:
Access to professional health advice and assessments over the phone
Emergency medevac management, In-patient case management and monitoring including payment guarantees and hospital follow-up
In emergency cases when UNOG or UNDP/host entity process is not activated, for example, if a volunteer is outside of their duty station country, UNV Field Unit, Regional Office or, in exceptional cases, the volunteer themselves have the option to activate International SOS’ services.
For phone numbers of all International SOS Assistance Centres visit this site and, when prompted, quote UNV’s membership number: 22ACMA000034
Once activated, International SOS may seek verbal authorisation (funding confirmation) to proceed with a medevac. Current authorising persons are: Chief Finance and Budget Section (below US$50,000), Director Management Service (Above US$50,000), Deputy Executive coordinator (above US$50,000 in absence of DMS), Executive Coordinator (Above US$50,000 in absence of both DMS and DEC)
9. OA VM - Inform FU and RO of the receiving country - Inform FU/RO as soon as possible, ideally in advance of the evacuation, including the details of the receiving hospital. Inform receiving RO (and FU where available) so they can assist.
10. OA VM - Create Authorization - Create Authorization in word document based on a template. The authorization includes travel to the place of medical evacuation for UN Volunteer and accompanying person (if applicable), including DSA if applicable. Send to OA TL using DocuSign for review.
11. OA-TL - Approve and Send authorization of medical evacuation - Review and approve using DocuSign.
12. OA VM - Upload signed authorization to UVP - Download signed document and upload to an assignment document library.
13. OA VM - Informs medical insurance provider (Cigna) - Informs Cigna of the medical evacuation and requests provision of a guarantee of payment to treating hospital
14. OA VM - Process travel entitlements - Process travel entitlements of the UN Volunteer outside UVP.
15. UNOG JSM - Follow-up volunteer’s condition - UNOG JMS to follow-up at least twice a week about the medical condition of UN Volunteer
16. Treating medical doctor - Send medical report - Send detailed medical report to UNOG JMS
17. UNOG JMS - Extend medevac - Authorize medevac extension based on the medical report if necessary
18. Volunteer - When treatment is completed, inform on her/his condition and readiness to return to work - UN Volunteer sends the final medical report to UNOG JMS requesting approval of return to work.
19. UNOG JMS - Authorize return to work - Reviews medical treating doctor`s reports provided by UN Volunteer. Authorizes return to work.
Notify the UN Volunteer and VSC