Medical evacuation from Cabo Verde to Morocco: how do you organise the transfer from the islands?

From one island to another

Depending on the island where the patient is, the most suitable departure point may be Praia, Sal or another airport. A patient from Fogo, Santo Antão or São Nicolau must first reach one of these islands, by domestic flight or by boat. For a stable patient, these connections may be suitable; for a seriously ill patient, medical transport organised directly from the island with the best runway may be safer. The choice lies with the doctors and the transport operator.

A file in Portuguese

Portuguese is the official language and the language of reports; Cape Verdean Creole is the language of everyday life. The teams in Morocco work in French and Arabic: a summary letter in French and translations of the essential reports speed up the review of the file. Imaging files can be read without translation. During the stay, a companion or interpreter is invaluable if the patient does not speak French.

Time zone and health context

Cabo Verde is on UTC-1; Morocco is on UTC+1 for most of the year and UTC+0 during Ramadan. The difference is therefore two hours, or one hour during Ramadan: the local time of each vital sign and each test must be stated. As the country has been certified malaria-free by the WHO, a fever does not raise the possibility of malaria in the same way as elsewhere, unless the patient has recently travelled to an area where it circulates.

Funding and entry into Morocco

The family, an insurer, an employer or a body may fund the care pathway, with prior approval obtained before departure; if the body requires documents in Portuguese, both versions must be planned. Entry requirements for Morocco depend on nationality and change over time: they are checked with the competent Moroccan diplomatic mission or on the official websites of the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Preparing the return

The return is prepared all the way to the island of residence, taking into account inter-island connections and the patient’s condition after treatment. The discharge report, written in French, benefits from translation into Portuguese for the doctor who will take over follow-up.

Frequently asked questions