The Accessing appropriate medical care during international travel can quickly become complex. Differences in healthcare systems, language, geography, local infrastructure and payment arrangements can make even relatively straightforward medical incidents difficult to manage, particularly when the traveller or organisation is unfamiliar with the country.

Stratum Global Risk provides 24/7 medical assistance across the Middle East, helping travellers and organisations navigate these challenges and coordinate the practical support required from the initial incident through to treatment, discharge, onward travel or repatriation. Our role is to provide informed regional oversight, coordinate with suitable medical providers and maintain clear communication between the traveller, treating facility, employer, insurer or assistance organisation throughout the case.

Medical Assistance Across the Middle East

Our regional capability supports travellers across the GCC, Levant and wider Middle East, including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt. Every medical case is different. The appropriate response depends on the traveller’s condition, location, available medical infrastructure, treating capability and onward requirements.

Our support includes:

• Appropriate hospitals, clinics and medical referrals

• Coordinating appointments and admissions

• Liaising with hospitals and treating providers

• Supporting payment and guarantee-of-payment processes where applicable

• Monitoring ongoing medical cases

• Coordinating ground ambulance transport

• Supporting discharge and onward travel arrangements

• Arranging medical escorts where required

• Coordinating medical evacuation and repatriation

• Maintaining communication with employers, insurers and assistance organisations

Hospital and Treatment Coordination

Finding a hospital is not always the same as finding the right hospital. Healthcare capability can vary significantly between countries and between cities within the same country. Depending on the nature of the case, a traveller may require access to a particular medical specialty, diagnostic capability or level of critical care. Stratum helps identify appropriate treatment facilities based on the traveller’s location and clinical requirements and can coordinate directly with hospitals, clinics and other medical providers.

Where a traveller is already receiving treatment, we can support ongoing liaison and case monitoring, helping the organisation responsible for the traveller maintain a clear understanding of their situation and the practical next steps.

Medical Case Management and Oversight

Medical incidents abroad often involve multiple parties. The traveller may be communicating with a hospital, employer, insurer, family member and assistance providers simultaneously. Without clear coordination, information can quickly become fragmented. Stratum provides operational oversight of the case, helping ensure relevant information is communicated between the organisations involved and that practical actions are followed through.This can include monitoring treatment progress, confirming medical documentation, coordinating transport, supporting discharge planning and helping determine whether the traveller can continue their journey, remain locally for treatment or requires onward medical movement.

Medical Evacuation and Repatriation

When appropriate treatment is not available locally, or when a traveller needs to return home following illness or injury, Stratum can coordinate medical evacuation and repatriation arrangements across the Middle East. Depending on the traveller’s medical condition and location, this may involve:

• Ground ambulance transfer

• Commercial airline travel

• Medical escort support

• Stretcher arrangements

• Wheelchair or mobility assistance

• Air ambulance coordination

• Bed-to-bed medical transfer

• Repatriation to the traveller’s home country

• Repatriation of remains

Each movement is assessed individually, taking into account medical requirements, geography, aviation availability, immigration considerations and the capability of the receiving facility.

Support During Regional Disruption

Medical incidents do not occur in isolation from the wider operating environment. Across the Middle East, airspace restrictions, border closures, civil unrest, extreme weather and security incidents can affect the availability of transport and the ability to move a traveller between locations. Stratum’s Middle East medical assistance capability operates alongside its wider travel risk management and crisis response capability. This allows medical cases to be considered within the broader operational environment rather than as standalone clinical events. Where normal travel arrangements are disrupted, our operations team can help assess alternative movement options and coordinate practical support around the traveller’s medical needs.

Supporting Employers and Corporate Travellers

Organisations have a responsibility to understand how employees will access support when travelling internationally. A traveller may be operating in a major regional capital with excellent private healthcare or in a location where specialist medical capability is significantly more limited. Stratum supports organisations with both individual medical incidents and wider travel risk management arrangements, providing a regional point of contact for employees travelling throughout the Middle East. Our assistance capability can complement an organisation’s existing insurance, travel management and duty-of-care arrangements by providing practical regional support when an incident occurs.

Local Knowledge. Regional Capability.

Medical assistance is most effective when clinical requirements are supported by an understanding of the local operating environment. Stratum Global Risk combines regional knowledge, established provider relationships and 24/7 operational oversight to support travellers across the Middle East. From straightforward outpatient assistance to complex medical evacuation and repatriation cases, our role is to help organisations and travellers access the right support and maintain clear oversight throughout the incident.