In response to the pandemic, the Organization needed to support its personnel and partners so they could stay in their duty stations and deliver. To ensure the availability of potentially life-saving care to those who fall seriously ill with COVID-19, the Secretary-General established the UN System-wide COVID-19 MEDEVAC Task Force, led by AnneMarie Van Den Berg, within the
To address the complex challenges of closing borders, movement limitations and stretched local healthcare systems, the Task Force and other entities pooled funds, resources and expertise under the ¨C delivering required vision, collaboration, coordination, responsiveness and collective resolve.
A joint MEDEVAC Cell in Geneva comprised of medical and aviation experts was established to coordinate the medical evacuation of COVID-19 patients.
Discussions with governments around the world were launched, relationships leveraged, and access agreements reached. They established a global network of approved medical facilities to receive and treat severely ill COVID-19 patients. In Nairobi and Accra, they constructed dedicated facilities to ensure beds are available and to supplement local capacity.
A network of field coordinators and focal points is now ready to support the evacuation of COVID-19 patients from duty locations around the world.
This was implemented by colleagues across the UN system, many working from home, and many of whom have never met in person ¨C empowered and working together to overcome operational challenges, tight deadlines, and internal bureaucracy to deliver as ONE.
Since May, 100 requests for MEDEVAC have been received. See the for data and the MEDEVAC website to find out more.
¡°Seeing that success of someone who was brought in an air ambulance and goes back [home] recovered. This is the greatest satisfaction that a doctor can get,¡± says Dr. Joshua Anino, UNON.
[1] Includes: FAO, IOM, UNDP, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNOPS, the World Bank, WFP, WHO, OCHA, IFC, ILO, UN Women, the UN Medical Directors Network and some offices and departments of the 51³Ô¹Ï Secretariat.
