The world is moving to the new normal and we are all set with our precautions in hand to welcome our International patients. Keeping all the norms in our mind we ensure that we are following all the safety measures at GoMedii.

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Informing our international medical travelers, we have the most important guidelines that have been provided by the Indian Government and also testified by the International organizations. Take note of these and be rest assured that your health is kept at priority, we take the opportunity to serve you in the best way we can.

How does the world open to Medical Tourism after the pandemic?

As a medical tourism company in one of the most lucrative medical tourism destination. We understand the concerns of our patients regarding the traveling issues and various measures that must be taken by the companies. The resumption of MVT operations will require several hurdles to be crossed for the Government to allow the treatment of foreign patients in India.

The current situation demands to explore possible pathways to facilitate a “restart” of international flights that are rendered keeping in mind medical patients and the ongoing pandemic outbreak. Further, hurdles in terms of the planning for healthcare-related travel, medical patients’ journey, transfer from the airport, arrival at the accommodation, transfer to Hospital for treatment, safe departure post-treatment, and other elements, will have to be covered for an unhindered smooth plan of action.

What Pre-planning on the company end and the patient end is to be done?

Some preparation is to be taken as per the Indian government guidelines before one takes the decision to come to India from any other country for medical treatment. Follow us through, as we give you the details of all the pre-treatment planning.

The certificate of the Doctor and hospitals

It is mandatory for the doctors to provide a certificate to those patients who are good to travel. This shortlisting is to be done by the collaboration of the doctor and hospitals. The under the ongoing circumstances of the COVID outbreak is kept in mind and informed to the patient, assessing patient risk profile, testing status, providing the fit-to-fly report.

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Video Conferencing for final confirmation and assistance

At GoMedii we make sure that our patients are given all the comfort they need. The government hence has made sure that the doctors and hospitals ensure that the patient is visually also looking fit to travel. The designated hospital will conduct a video call with the patient to do a video assessment of health and fitness, prior to their journey to India.

As far as the people traveling with the patient are concerned, then only one attendant to be allowed to travel with the patient apart from special cases.

Visa and other Documents required for the Pre-planning and travel

The government strictly will be giving Visas to those who submit the documents that make the patient deem fit for travel and COVID. Prior to applying for Visa, Hospital to ensure the patient and traveling attendant(s) are willing to undertake COVID-19 RT-PCR test 48 hours prior to their scheduled flight given if there is a COVID-19 test available in their home country.

While you are obtaining Visa after which you are required to take the test within 48 hours prior to their travel, submit a digital copy with the Indian consulate and bring negative COVID-19 PCR test result paper along with them. Only COVID-19 negative individuals will be accepted into the country. Tickets to be booked only once a visa is confirmed.

On flight and airport restrictions that must be followed

The various flights that are taking off internationally are mostly under Vande Bharat Scheme of India, we are hoping for the regular flights to start soon, and there are certain checks that are to be followed

1. Thermal screening for fever and review of symptoms of influenza-like illness, acute respiratory infections, and COVID. In case someone traveling along the patient is found with the symptoms, can be asked to postpone the travel.

2. Provision of surgical/N-95 masks for all including the cabin crews, pocket-size hand sanitizers to all passengers – they must use it after they touch any surfaces in various public areas, even within the aircraft.

3. While providing food and drinks to passengers – distribute in such a schedule that in a single row, only one person needs to remove the mask and eat while others can keep on their masks.

4. Trace and Tracking of the people entering the country and maintaining a registry for the same will be carried out on all levels.

What must be done as a Medical Tourism Company?

There are some duties that as a medical tourism company, we can also ensure. These will only help the government and we deliver better service. Patients are pre-screened for COVID-19 during pre-admission calls prior to travel or via other remote means and are informed about the need to discuss rescheduling if COVID-19 symptoms are developed.

Guidelines to be followed at the arrival in India

Once you arrive in India, a whole new set of rules is to be followed without any fail. At GoMedii we make sure that not only are the rules followed but every aspect of patient comfort is taken care of.

1. Upon arrival in India at the airport, there should be a separate channel for them, a process of dis-embarking them, under watch, and taken to a segregated number of counters at the immigration. The on-arrival checks of COVID symptoms and thermal testing are done.

2. If symptomatic; shift to isolation units within the respective hospitals, conduct the RTPCR which if negative, we wait for 5-7 days and repeat an Antibody test. If both negative and the patient is completely asymptomatic by day 10 – They will be taken up for the planned procedure.

3. In case the RTPCR is positive but no symptom, then the person is taken on isolation and regular monitoring of symptoms is done.

4. If asymptomatic and Antibody test is positive – The patient can be shifted to the respective hospital and after assessment, be taken up for the planned procedure. If asymptomatic and RT-PCR and Antibody tests negative they are Shifted to the quarantine unit of the respective hospital, consider the possibility of “carrier state” during the hospital stay.

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What are the Guidelines that must be followed in case of accommodation?

As your medical tourism company, GoMedii ensures the highest safety precautions. Apart from that, there are some guidelines for the accommodation of patients as per the government.

a. The hospital should take all responsibility for the patient mobility and whereabouts from the time they enter India till the time they leave. A brief description of the Do’s and Don’ts must be explained to the patients and attendants.

b. The patient and the Attendant will be picked up from the airport by the designated hospital, taken directly to the hotel/hospital, not allowed contact with any outsiders during their stay, and dropped back to the airport by the hospital. Daily updates are must to be given to the patient and the company along with them.

c. Fresh PPE kits use by the patient and attendant is mandatory during their transfer from the airport to the hotel/Hospital Ward In case a Hotel/Guest House is selected as the initial transfer location for the patient and the attendant, prior to the treatment, it has to be ensured that Indian Government guidelines for quarantine are followed and the Hotel/Guest House is affiliated to the designated Hospital.

d. Transportation must be done with a registered cab service only. The quarantine process must be followed at the Hospital/ Hotel, as per the Government of India guidelines prior to the treatment to be undertaken.

Keep these points in mind when getting treatment

After the various test is done, the hospitals have to keep extra care of the patients while their treatment is going on. Hospital to ensure that the movement of patient and attendant is restricted, and monitoring is real-time, even once hospitalization is over. The movement from and to the hotel/guesthouse must be managed by the designated hospital.

When the test of the patients of RTPCR is positive

Once a suspect or confirmed case of an international patient undergoing treatment, is detected in a healthcare facility, the standard procedure of rapid isolation, contact listing and tracking disinfection will follow with no need to shut down the whole facility.

1. If the healthcare facility is not designated as a COVID-19 isolation facility, officials should inform the local health authorities about the case, assess the clinical status of the patient prior to referral to a designated COVID-19 facility and the patient should be isolated immediately to another room.

2. If the clinical condition permits, such patients should be masked and only a dedicated healthcare worker should attend to this case following due precautions.

3. Also, all contacts of this patient (other patients being managed in the same room or ward, healthcare workers who have attended to him/her, support staff who may have come in close contact, caretaker/visitors, etc.) should be quarantined and followed up for 14 days.

4. If the hospital authorities are reasonably satisfied that the source case/s have been identified and isolated, all contacts traced and quarantined and adequate disinfection achieved, the hospital will continue to function.

After the completion of the required treatment of the patient, a repeat of the RT-PCR test should be done during the interim of stay, this will reduce the possibility of two false negatives becoming the rule.

Ensuring you a safe departure

The hospitals must make sure that there is no infection detected on the journey back to the home country of the patient. This must be done through one final test of the patient.

a. Hospital/Hotel / Guesthouse to execute adequate screening for COVID-19/symptoms before MVT patients leave the premises. Transfer of MVT patients via Ambulance would be ideal as per the current scenario. All the precautions must be taken for the patients in order to ensure their safe departure.

b. Health Care workers and drivers need to change their entire attire, except for their work uniforms, after each patient transfers. They also need to disinfect thoroughly any area of their body if there is suspicion of contact with the patient or contaminated surfaces.

Eye protection can be reused after proper disinfection/cleaning. Health care workers or drivers need to practice frequent hand hygiene. The patient compartment part of a vehicle must be cleaned and disinfected after each ride.

c. Cleaning of the ambulance is a must after every trip along with which, MVT patients to be provided with an authorized pass to indicate the patient is COVIDNegative and can have the access to airport and other places smoothly. Hospital helpdesk desk can be set up in all the major airports to provide them stress-free exist.

d. “Fit to fly” should be sent to the airlines prior to departure for international cases, for all surgical and non-surgical cases to avoid long waits and queues. Ensuring disinfected Cabs /vehicles are used for points transfer.

What do we ensure as a responsible medical tourism company?

As a responsible company, we ensure the safety of our patients at all levels. We have given you the above guidelines to go through once you start to plan your journey. We ensure patients are aware of the potential consequences should they test positive upon arrival and before treatment, such as quarantine, travel back home prior to treatment being administered, or admission to hospital for care, depending on the individual patient circumstances, national regulatory orders of the country, judgment of the physician, and /or protocols of the hospital or clinic, and that they are aware of any associated financial responsibilities.

The medical travel program has a process to inform the patient about any unique travel arrangements that are recommended in regard to the patient’s individual personal and/or medical requirements. The medical travel program recommends, upon request, tourism options to patients appropriate to their medical condition.

Along with this we also have regular post-treatment follow-ups. Join us and choose GoMedii to make sure that even at the time of this pandemic you are not compromising on health.

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