Caribbean specialists for international patient repatriation — insurers, hospitals and families contact our team 24/7
When a patient is seriously ill or injured abroad, every decision matters. West Indies Assistance (WIA) organizes international medical repatriations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from Martinique and throughout the Caribbean basin to Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. Whether you are an insurer coordinating a bedbound critical case or a family member seeking to bring a loved one home safely, WIA provides a medically supervised, cost-controlled solution tailored to the patient’s clinical condition, drawing on a comprehensive range of medical services deployed from the first call to safe arrival.
150 + international insurers
15 years of expertise
10 000 assistance missions
1 500 repatriations
Available 24/7/365
What Are Medical Repatriation Services?
Medical repatriation is the organized transfer of a patient facing illness or injury abroad back to their home country or to a healthcare facility adapted to their condition. It differs from medical evacuation (EVASAN), which involves moving a patient to the nearest adequate medical facility regardless of their country of origin. WIA coordinates both types of transfer.
Medical repatriation becomes necessary in a wide range of situations: a traveler hospitalized following a road accident, a tourist facing a medical emergency after a sudden cardiac event, an expatriate requiring surgery unavailable locally, or a cruise passenger unable to continue their journey safely. In every case, the objective is the same: ensure the patient reaches the right facility with the right medical assistance, under the right medical supervision, by the most appropriate and cost-efficient means.
One scenario is often overlooked: the patient who has already been treated locally and needs to get home. When a traveler is hospitalized and cared for at the CHU de Martinique or the CHU de Guadeloupe, then discharged, the journey is not over. Returning home safely, whether to Paris, London or Toronto, still requires organization: a fit-to-fly assessment, potentially a medical escort on the commercial flight, prescription management for the journey and full departure logistics. In this case, repatriation leads to the patient’s home, not to another hospital. WIA, based in Fort-de-France, coordinates this return journey directly from the Caribbean, a service it is uniquely positioned to provide.
Medical Repatriation Transport Solutions
Choosing the right mode of patient transport is the central medical and financial decision in any repatriation. WIA’s medical team assesses every case individually before any booking is made. Three solutions are available depending on the patient’s condition, the destination and the urgency of the transfer.
| Solution | Best For | Medical Level | Relative Cost | Lead Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Ambulance | Critical patients going to remote locations without commercial flight access | ICU level | Highest | Hours (priority) |
| Commercial Stretcher | Critical patients who must remain supine for the full flight | Supervised | Optimized | 24–48h |
| Commercial Medical Flight | Clinically stable patients who can travel seated | Supervised | Lower | 24–48h |
Air Ambulance Aircraft: When Clinical Priority Comes First
For patients in critical or unstable condition, or when no scheduled commercial service is accessible from the departure point, a fully equipped medical aircraft provides ICU-level monitoring throughout the flight, delivered by a dedicated medical crew trained to provide expert care in the air. WIA coordinates air ambulance services across the Caribbean and for intercontinental transfers, working exclusively with certified aeromedical operators and qualified medical personnel. This solution is selected when the departure point is not served by commercial airlines, or when the required medical configuration cannot be accommodated on a scheduled aircraft.
→ Air Ambulance: indications, equipment and coordination process
Commercial Medical Flights: A Sound Alternative for Stable Patients
When the patient is clinically stable and able to travel seated, a supervised business class flight on a scheduled airline is a medically sound and significantly more affordable alternative to a private aircraft. This solution is particularly suited to post-surgical patients in recovery, travelers with mobility limitations, and cases where insurance coverage applies budget parameters. WIA provides a qualified medical escort and manages all coordination with the airline.
→ Commercial Medical Flights: criteria and booking process
Commercial Stretcher Flights: Intercontinental Transport at Optimized Cost
For patients who must remain supine throughout the flight — including severe cases, patients immobilized by fracture, or those requiring continuous medical supervision — WIA arranges stretcher configurations on scheduled commercial aircraft. This solution is indicated when the destination is accessible via a major international hub in Europe, the Americas or Canada. WIA organizes intercontinental stretcher repatriations in partnership with Air France and other major carriers, at a fraction of the cost of a dedicated medical aircraft, without compromising on medical safety.
→ Commercial Stretcher Flights
→ Compare all transport solutions and select the right option for your patient
How Medical Repatriation Works: From First Call to Destination
Every step of the repatriation process WIA coordinates follows a structured, documented workflow designed to guarantee patient safety and operational reliability at every handover point. The destination may be a receiving hospital or the patient’s own home, depending on their clinical situation.
Step 1: Medical Assessment
WIA’s medical coordinator, under the supervision of the medical director, reviews the patient’s clinical file in direct contact with the local doctors and attending physician. This initial consultation determines fitness to travel, the required level of in-flight supervision and the optimal mode of transport. WIA responds to new case inquiries 24/7, with a coordinator assigned within minutes of the first call.
→ Medical Assessment: process and documentation requirements
Step 2: Transport Decision
Based on the medical assessment, WIA’s team of medical experts evaluates available routes, carrier options, the patient’s specific medical conditions, equipment requirements and cost parameters. The team confirms the safest, most cost-efficient transport solution with the insurer or the patient’s representatives before any booking is made. Air ambulances are selected when the destination has no direct commercial service, or when the required medical configuration cannot be accommodated on a scheduled aircraft.
→ Transport Decision Process: criteria and methodology
Step 3: Bed-to-Bed Coordination
WIA manages the full operational chain: road ambulance at origin, airport handling and boarding, in-flight medical supervision, receiving ambulance at destination and hospital admission coordination. No handover point is left unmanaged. When air transport is not required, WIA also coordinates road repatriation for shorter distances or specific clinical situations. Every case WIA organizes is a true bed repatriation, from the patient’s bed at origin to the receiving facility or home at destination.
→ Bed-to-Bed Coordination: full scope of service
Step 4: Medical Escort (If Required)
For patients traveling on commercial flights who require ongoing clinical supervision and medical support, WIA provides qualified medical escorts: registered nurses and physicians trained to manage in-flight medical events, administer medication and monitor the patient continuously throughout the journey. The most frequent scenario for this service is the patient discharged from the CHU de Martinique or CHU de Guadeloupe returning home to France or elsewhere in Europe: stable, but too fragile to travel alone on a long-haul flight without clinical supervision. The destination in this case is not a hospital but the patient’s own home.
Medical Repatriation by Region
WIA’s operations center in Fort-de-France, Martinique, is strategically positioned at the crossroads of Caribbean islands, French Overseas Departments and transatlantic flight routes. WIA organizes medical repatriations to and from all major origin and destination markets for Caribbean-based patients.
Caribbean
WIA coordinates inter-island medical transport and evacuations throughout the Caribbean basin, from Tortola to Trinidad and including the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao). WIA’s local clinical and operational network, built over 15 years from its base in Fort-de-France, includes direct access to the CHU de Martinique (European-standard teaching hospital) and established relationships with regional healthcare providers across all major islands.
WIA also coordinates a scenario specific to its Caribbean base: the return home of patients discharged from the CHU de Martinique or CHU de Guadeloupe. A traveler treated locally and assessed as fit to fly still needs to get home safely, whether to France, the UK or elsewhere. WIA manages the full departure logistics from the island: fit-to-fly confirmation, commercial flight booking, medical escort if needed, ground transport to the airport and prescription and documentation management for the journey. The destination in these cases is the patient’s home, not a receiving hospital. In most cases, this return journey is organized at the insurer’s request. When the patient has no coverage for the return leg, they or their family can contact WIA directly for a transparent self-pay assessment.
→ Caribbean Medical Repatriation: island coverage and operational logistics
Europe
The majority of WIA’s transatlantic repatriations are directed to France, the United Kingdom, Germany and other European destinations. WIA’s preferred carrier for Martinique-to-Paris routes is Air France, enabling stretcher or supervised business class repatriations to be organized within 24 to 48 hours. WIA coordinates receiving ambulance services and hospital admissions across all major European cities.
→ Medical Repatriation to Europe: routes, timelines and coordination
Americas
WIA organizes repatriations to the United States (Miami as primary hub), Canada (Montréal, Toronto), Brazil and across Central and South America. Transport solutions are adapted to each destination’s healthcare infrastructure and available flight connectivity. Air ambulance is frequently required for remote Central or South American destinations with limited commercial air access.
→ Medical Repatriation to the Americas: USA, Canada, Central and South America
South Africa
WIA coordinates medical repatriations to South Africa for southern African nationals hospitalized in the Caribbean. The multi-leg routing required for this corridor, typically via a European hub, demands careful sequencing of ground transport, connecting flights and receiving hospital coordination. WIA manages the full chain in French and English.
→ Medical Repatriation to South Africa
Brazil
WIA organizes repatriations to Belém, Fortaleza, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, all accessible from Fort-de-France. WIA’s Portuguese-speaking coordinators ensure seamless communication with Brazilian hospitals, insurers and ground transport providers throughout the process.
Asia — Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia
For intercontinental repatriation to Southeast Asia, WIA coordinates multi-leg itineraries with continuous medical supervision, working with specialized air ambulance operators for the longest routes. These cases require careful routing through a European or Middle Eastern transit hub. WIA manages the full logistics chain from Caribbean origin to hospital admission in Bangkok, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Phnom Penh.
Who We Help
Insurance Companies and Assistance Providers
More than 150 international insurers trust WIA, including Redion (Europ Assistance), AXA Assistance, Allianz Global Assistance, Inter Mutuelle Assistance, Mutuaide, Fidelia, FILA and their European counterparts. WIA’s multilingual coordination team, French, English, Spanish and Portuguese, is always available and provides real-time case updates throughout every repatriation. Insurance authorization, cost documentation and case reporting are built into every operational process. Contact the B2B coordination team.
Hospitals and Clinicians
Caribbean hospitals and clinics regularly call on WIA to organize transfers of patients requiring specialized care not locally available: whether to the CHU de Martinique, to metropolitan France or to international destinations. WIA manages all documentation, receiving hospital coordination and transport logistics from the first call to final admission.
Travelers and Tourists
When a traveler is hospitalized abroad, the combination of clinical uncertainty and administrative complexity is overwhelming. WIA handles all coordination, medical, logistical, and administrative, so the patient and family can focus on recovery. The team is available 24/7, including public holidays.
Patients Discharged from Martinique or Guadeloupe Hospitals
This is a distinct and often underserved profile: the patient who has been treated at the CHU de Martinique or CHU de Guadeloupe, is declared fit to fly, and simply needs to get home. No receiving hospital coordination is required, but the return journey still involves real constraints: residual fatigue or mobility limitations, medications to manage on the flight, potential need for a medical escort and full departure logistics from the island. WIA handles all of this from its base in Fort-de-France. In most cases, this return is organized at the insurer’s request. When the patient has no coverage for the return leg, they or their family can contact WIA directly for a transparent self-pay assessment and end-to-end coordination.
Expatriates and Long-Term Residents
For expatriates requiring a return to their home country for medical treatment unavailable locally, WIA provides end-to-end coordination adapted to international health insurance plans, including direct billing arrangements with major international insurers and assistance providers.
Cruise Passengers
Cruise itineraries create specific medical transport challenges: remote ports of call, multiple jurisdictions and time-sensitive schedules. WIA’s Caribbean network and 24/7 availability make it the reference provider for cruise line operators and their onboard medical teams.
Corporations and HR Managers
For companies with staff deployed in the Caribbean or internationally, WIA provides duty-of-care medical repatriation services adapted to corporate travel policies, with direct reporting to HR or travel risk management teams and transparent cost documentation throughout.
Insurers, hospitals, patients or families: contact WIA’s coordination team 24/7 to discuss your case.
Why Choose West Indies Assistance?
WIA has over 15 years of operational experience in Caribbean medical transport, with more than 10,000 assistance missions and 1,500 repatriations completed.
Its operations center in Fort-de-France gives WIA direct access to Air France’s intercontinental routes and to the CHU de Martinique, a European-standard teaching hospital. This geographic position enables response times and clinical protocols unavailable to operators based outside the Caribbean region. WIA’s Martinique base is not a registered office: it is an operational hub staffed 24/7 with medical and logistics coordinators ready to provide immediate medical assistance when a case arises.
WIA systematically recommends the most appropriate and cost-efficient transport option for each case. Air ambulances are selected when the destination has no direct commercial service or when the required medical configuration cannot be accommodated on a scheduled aircraft. For destinations near major international hubs, WIA provides stretcher solutions at a fraction of the cost of a dedicated medical aircraft, drawing on its own specialist expertise in commercial airliner medical transport.
More than 150 international insurers trust WIA, including Europ Assistance, AXA Assistance, Allianz Global Assistance, Inter Mutuelles Assistance, Mutuaide, Fidelia, FILA and their European counterparts. WIA’s multilingual coordination team, French, English, Spanish and Portuguese, is always available.
WIA’s team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year.
Frequently Asked Questions About Medical Repatriation
What is medical repatriation?
Medical repatriation is the organized transfer of a patient who has fallen ill or been injured abroad back to their home country or to a healthcare facility adapted to their condition. WIA coordinates the full process, from initial medical assessment to hospital admission at destination.
What is the difference between medical repatriation and medical evacuation?
Medical repatriation returns a patient to their country of origin for ongoing treatment. Medical evacuation (EVASAN) moves a patient from a remote or under-equipped location to the nearest adequate medical facility, which may or may not be their home country. WIA coordinates both types of transfer.
How much does medical repatriation cost?
The cost depends on the mode of transport, distance, clinical requirements and insurance coverage. A commercial stretcher flight is typically 60 to 70% less expensive than an air ambulance covering the same route. WIA always identifies the most cost-efficient option that is medically justified for each case. Contact the team for a transparent, case-specific assessment.
When is an air ambulance necessary for medical repatriation?
An air ambulance is required when the departure point is not served by scheduled commercial airlines, or when the patient requires medical equipment or configuration that cannot be accommodated on a commercial aircraft. When the destination is accessible via a major international hub, a commercial stretcher with full medical supervision is often a clinically equivalent and significantly more cost-efficient option. WIA’s medical team assesses each case individually to determine which solution best matches the patient’s needs and destination.
Can a patient fly on a commercial airline after hospitalization?
Yes, provided the patient is clinically stable and assessed as fit to fly. Depending on their condition, they may travel seated in business class with a medical escort, or in a stretcher configuration if they must remain supine. WIA conducts the medical assessment and manages all coordination with the airline.
What is a commercial stretcher flight?
A commercial stretcher flight is a scheduled aircraft configured to accommodate a patient who must remain lying down. Several seats are removed and replaced with a medical stretcher unit. Air France and a limited number of other carriers offer this service on specific intercontinental routes. WIA organizes these transfers as a cost-optimized alternative to full air ambulance, with medical supervision throughout.
Does travel insurance cover the cost of medical repatriation?
In the majority of cases, a travel insurance policy or international health insurance covers medical repatriation costs. Having policy documents readily available when contacting WIA significantly accelerates the coordination process. WIA works directly with insurers to coordinate all logistics and documentation. Patients without insurance coverage can also contact WIA directly for a self-pay assessment and transparent pricing.
How quickly can a medical repatriation be organized?
WIA can typically organize a commercial stretcher repatriation within 24 to 48 hours from the initial medical assessment, subject to flight availability. Air ambulance missions can be arranged more rapidly for critical cases. Case coordinators respond to new inquiries within minutes, 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Can family members travel with the patient during repatriation?
Yes. Family member accompaniment is organized by WIA as part of the overall coordination. Specific arrangements depend on the mode of transport and the airline’s policies. WIA handles all booking and logistics for accompanying family members.
What countries and regions does WIA cover for medical repatriation?
WIA coordinates medical repatriations across the Caribbean basin and to destinations worldwide, including Europe, North and South America, South Africa, Brazil and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia). WIA works with over 350 partners in more than 150 countries. Regional coverage: Caribbean | Europe | Americas | South Africa
What countries andI was treated at the CHU de Martinique or Guadeloupe and I’m ready to go home. Can WIA help me? regions does WIA cover for medical repatriation?
Yes. WIA coordinates the return home of patients who have been treated locally in the Caribbean and discharged from hospital. This is not an emergency repatriation: you are stable and fit to travel, but getting home safely still requires organization. WIA handles fit-to-fly confirmation with your attending physician, commercial flight booking, medical escort if your condition requires it, ground transport to the airport and prescription and documentation management for the journey. Your destination is your home, not a hospital. Contact WIA directly for a transparent, no-obligation assessment of your situation.
