When Every Minute Matters: An Emergency Medical Evacuation from Vietnam to Australia

By Dr. Rafi Kot - Family Medical Practice Vietnam

Family Medical Practice was involved in coordinating the emergency medical evacuation of Ms Chloe Mowday on December 18, an Australian citizen who became critically ill in Vietnam following serious complications from surgery performed abroad. Situations like this highlight the complexity of managing critical illness away from home and the importance of coordinated international medical care.

The evacuation involved collaboration between emergency medicine specialists, critical-care clinicians, aviation medical teams, the patient’s family, and relevant consular authorities. Throughout the transfer, continuous monitoring and life-support care were maintained to reduce the risks associated with long-distance air transport of a critically ill patient. Ms Mowday was transported via a specialist medical evacuation flight to Perth, where she was admitted to an Australian medical facility for further treatment.