Medevac in East Africa

Medevac in East Africa: A Quick Guide to Emergency Air Evacuation

When an accident happens on a remote safari track or an oil site deep in Turkana, road transport can cost precious hours. Medevac —short for medical evacuation—bridges that gap by flying patients to definitive care in a fraction of the time.

1. What exactly is medevac?

Medevac refers to the urgent air transport of a patient to a hospital or trauma centre, often using helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft. In some cases, these aircraft are equipped to provide medical treatment en route. In others, such as with Mayfair Aviation, the aircraft is outfitted with a stretcher and used in coordination with medical professionals to move patients quickly to a facility for treatment.

2. Why it matters in East Africa

Long distances & rough terrain: Safari lodges and industrial sites are often six-eight hours by road from a fully equipped ICU.
Limited trauma centres: Kenya has fewer than 10 fully equipped Level 5 hospitals; neighbouring countries have even fewer.
Time-critical conditions: Survival chances for stroke, trauma or sepsis decrease 7-10% with every passing minute without treatment.

3. Common scenarios that require air evacuation

4. What’s on board?

At Mayfair Aviation, our Bell 407 helicopters are equipped with a stretcher for patient transport. We work with medical partners to ensure that patients are stabilised before pickup and received promptly at a hospital with appropriate care. While our aircraft do not carry critical care equipment or onboard medical staff, we provide a vital time-saving link in the medevac chain.

5. The Mayfair Medevac Process in 5 steps

• Call Us – Reach us at +254 112 510481. We’re available Monday to Sunday, 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM.
• Initial triage – Our team confirms patient condition, location and landing options.
• Quotation – We share the cost estimate for insurance or employer approval.
• Lift-off – Aircraft departs within 30 minutes (weather permitting).
• Handover – We coordinate the transfer to the receiving hospital to ensure continuity of care.

6. Costs & insurance

Many travel and health insurance policies include air evacuation, but pre-authorisation is usually required. Always ask for a “guarantee of payment” to avoid upfront cash payments. Local insurers may cap benefits around USD 10,000-check your limits before travel or remote assignments.

7. Be prepared – two simple steps

Save the hotline: +254 112 510481 (Mayfair Aviation Desk)
Carry a one-page summary: Include allergies, medications, chronic conditions, and an emergency contact.