Medical evacuations common?

[Paul Johnson]

On our recent cruise Miami to Los Angeles on Oceania's Regatta we had at
least three medical evacuations of passengers. One was a woman who injured
her hip on board ship- taken off at Cartegena, second was a man taken by
ambulance at Huatulco, Mexico and the third was at roughly 5:30 am on 1/29
at sea, picked up by helicopter off the Mexican coast. I have not seen this
on any other cruise. Is this a common, but unseen thing?
Paul Johnson

[Tom K]

"Paul Johnson" <thejohnsons@frontiernet.net> wrote in message
news:8oCan.24082$Fe4.3182@newsfe21.iad...
> On our recent cruise Miami to Los Angeles on Oceania's Regatta we had at
> least three medical evacuations of passengers. One was a woman who
> injured her hip on board ship- taken off at Cartegena, second was a man
> taken by ambulance at Huatulco, Mexico and the third was at roughly 5:30
> am on 1/29 at sea, picked up by helicopter off the Mexican coast. I have
> not seen this on any other cruise. Is this a common, but unseen thing?
> Paul Johnson

I think I've seen 4 chopper evacs. on about 40 cruises. Once on Zenith
going to Bermuda. Once on Century to the Baltics. And I believe twice in
the Caribbean (once on a Viking group sailing in fact).

So for me, it's about a 10% occurrence.

--Tom

[Joseph Coulter]

On Thu, 4 Feb 2010 11:14:59 -0500, "Paul Johnson"
<thejohnsons@frontiernet.net> wrote:

>On our recent cruise Miami to Los Angeles on Oceania's Regatta we had at
>least three medical evacuations of passengers. One was a woman who injured
>her hip on board ship- taken off at Cartegena, second was a man taken by
>ambulance at Huatulco, Mexico and the third was at roughly 5:30 am on 1/29
>at sea, picked up by helicopter off the Mexican coast. I have not seen this
>on any other cruise. Is this a common, but unseen thing?
>Paul Johnson
>
Cruises are all about life and life's problems. You won' often see the
helicopter evacuation as it is not prefered. More often the ship will
be diverted and a tender evacuation will occur and most often the
passenger will have an emergency while in port. (Passenger falls
breaks elbow, as happened to my mother, the crew swoops into the room
and packs everything, all is put ashore and ship sails in a timely
fashion minus the injured.)

Death is the real downer of course as that usually results in several
grieving family members until they can get off and go home.
Joseph Coulter
Joseph Coulter Cruises and Vacations
www.josephcoulter.com

[Sue Mullen]

Paul Johnson wrote:
> On our recent cruise Miami to Los Angeles on Oceania's Regatta we had at
> least three medical evacuations of passengers. One was a woman who injured
> her hip on board ship- taken off at Cartegena, second was a man taken by
> ambulance at Huatulco, Mexico and the third was at roughly 5:30 am on 1/29
> at sea, picked up by helicopter off the Mexican coast. I have not seen this
> on any other cruise. Is this a common, but unseen thing?

Out of our 23 cruises I seem to remember about 4 or 5 times someone was
taken off the ship for medical reasons. Twice we diverted and the person
was taken ahore via tender or small boat, once by helicopter and maybe
once or twice someone was taken off by ambulence when we docked. One
time our ship diverted to be ready to help a sinking yacht.

From my experience I think THREE medical emergencies on one cruise is a
lot!

sue

[Val Kraut]

"> From my experience I think THREE medical emergencies on one cruise is a
> lot!

I would bet that there is a relationship between the cruise itinerary and
the number of medical emergencies. There's the "starter" crusies that folks
new to the experience take, and then a complete spectrum through cruises
visiting new, different, and more esoteric sites that attract the more
experienced and hence older cruisers with a higher probability of a medical
situation. Unfortunately the more untraveled destinations also may have the
least potential for evacuation to a suitable medical site. Maybe the cruise
lines should adjust the medical staff and capabilities along these lines.

[Gadget World]

Medical evacuations are very common in the Caribbean where I have seen
over 100 over the years.

In the case of life or death emergencies these evacuations are
responsible for saving lives and are necessary.

I have also seen evacuations for minor injuries like broken bones which
just have to heal over time.

I just heard of a passenger who fell in a shop in St Thomas and insisted
on being taken to San Juan as he didn't want to go to a hospital outside
the US. Naturally all US Virgin Islands are in the US, an after many
Caribbean Cruises he should have know that!

In a non life and death situation the patient can be treated well on the
ship and even enjoy some of the amenities of the balance of the cruise.

There was one elderly lady who was taken to a hospital in Kenya on an
around Africa cruise.

I kept in touch with her, by phone and she was in that hospital for
months.

I often wonder who pays for all these Coast Guard helicopters taking
passengers a thousand miles or more to the US or other hospitals/

I've often heard of some HMO's who claim that they pay for Air Ambulance
and care overseas as well as on cruise ships, which may be possible as
the occurrence in not frequent enough to cost them munch.

I have heard that some ships claim to accept Medicare, but I believe
that Medicare only pays inside the US.

Does Medicare pay for visits to the ship's doctor?

Gadget

[Gadget World]

Medical evacuations are very common in the Caribbean where I have seen
over 100 over the years.

In the case of life or death emergencies these evacuations are
responsible for saving lives and are necessary.

I have also seen evacuations for minor injuries like broken bones which
just have to heal over time.

I just heard of a passenger who fell in a shop in St Thomas and insisted
on being taken to San Juan as he didn't want to go to a hospital outside
the US. Naturally all US Virgin Islands are in the US, an after many
Caribbean Cruises he should have know that!

In a non life and death situation the patient can be treated well on the
ship and even enjoy some of the amenities of the balance of the cruise.

There was one elderly lady who was taken to a hospital in Kenya on an
around Africa cruise.

I kept in touch with her, by phone and she was in that hospital for
months.

I often wonder who pays for all these Coast Guard helicopters taking
passengers a thousand miles or more to the US or other hospitals/

I've often heard of some HMO's who claim that they pay for Air Ambulance
and care overseas as well as on cruise ships, which may be possible as
the occurrence in not frequent enough to cost them munch.

I have heard that some ships claim to accept Medicare, but I believe
that Medicare only pays inside the US.

Does Medicare pay for visits to the ship's doctor?

Gadget

[Kurt Ullman]

In article <28818-4B6C3A0C-21292@baytvnwsxa002.msntv.********>,
gadgetworld@********** (Gadget World) wrote:

>
> I have heard that some ships claim to accept Medicare, but I believe
> that Medicare only pays inside the US.
>
> Does Medicare pay for visits to the ship's doctor?
>
Interesting. Maybe they bill through some US mechanism (RCI Medical
Group or something). Since many are US Companies, I suppose that might
be possible. We are heading off on the Independence OTS in 15 days. I'll
try to remember to ask the doc if I see him.

--
I get off on '57 Chevys
I get off on screamin' guitars
--Eric Clapton

[Goomba]

Gadget World wrote:

> I have also seen evacuations for minor injuries like broken bones which
> just have to heal over time.
>
I'm curious as to how you determined that broken bones are "minor" and
that they just have to "heal over time" ?
Did you see the xray? How was the bone alignment? No arterial or nerve
impingement? No co-morbidities that might be problematic?
Just *how* did you determine it was a "minor" injury?

[Jr.]

There was a helicopter medical evac on the Ruby Princess 1/19-1/29 Caribbean
cruise.
According to our friends who got on this ship the day we got off they
drained the forward pool, put a net over it and the helicopter landed on
that forward deck to evacuate a person. The could not get close enough to
see if it was a passenger or crew member.