Little did Hermann Marquard know when he left his mechanical engineering firm in Germany for a business trip to Asia in November, that on the 23rd of that same month he would require hospitalisation in Hô Chi Minh City.
Little did he know then how fortunate he was to be travelling under the protection of Business Travel Assist. It was 5:30 in the morning. The local medical staff suspected a heart attack, but no one at the time knew how serious it was.
A Mondial Assistance co-ordinator notified Dr. Robl, the local assistance physician, who in turn quickly established contact with the hospital’s on-duty doctor. Mr. Marquard received emergency care and was stabilised.
Transfer by air ambulance
But the situation took a turn for the worse when it became apparent that he needed a heart catheter, a procedure that could not be done in Hô Chi Minh City. The next day he was successfully transferred via air ambulance to a private clinic in Bangkok, which had been notified in advance and proceeded with examinations immediately upon his arrival.
The diagnosis was critical. Mr. Marquard needed bypass surgery at once. Time was of the essence and despite his condition, it was decided to fly him back to Germany to be treated in a special heart clinic in Berlin. Fortunately, Business Travel Assist covered all expenses accumulated in Hô Chi Minh City and Bangkok but also the full repatriation, and all costs still to come.
Dr. Robl sent a detailed analysis of the patient’s condition to the Medical Director in Berlin, and arranged for Mr. Marquard to be accompanied during the long return flight from Bangkok by an Assistance air physician on a fully equipped medical aircraft.
On 29 November, they arrived safely in Berlin, where Mr. Marquard was immediately admitted to the clinic’s intensive care unit and the bypass procedure was successfully carried out. His family, friends and employer all expressed immense relief, joy and gratitude.
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