Medical Treatment Services for Shell Gabon Staff on Regular Terms

Medical Treatment Services for
Shell Gabon Staff on Regular Terms Living in Gamba
Introduction
As a Shell employee living in Gamba, you (and your registered dependants) will be able to access medical
services provided by Shell Health Gabon. Medical services in Gamba may not be the same as elsewhere in
Gabon. As such, it is important that you have an idea of the capabilities and limitations of the local medical
services, your options for treatment, and how emergencies are managed.
This document outlines:
 Diagnostic and treatment capabilities of the Shell Clinic Gabon (and its limitations).
 How emergencies are managed.
 Medical evacuations to medical facilities outside of Gamba: how it is initiated, treatment options,
receiving hospitals.
 Non-emergency cases: how it is managed, limitations in Gabon, and referral options.
Diagnostic and Treatment Capabilities (and Limitations) of Shell Clinic Gabon
Shell Clinic Gabon is an outpatient clinic run by Shell Health. It is equipped with an emergency treatment
room, a small laboratory, basic x-ray and pharmacy. We are able to stabilise medical and surgical
emergencies, and provide advanced life support, but we are limited in specialist care. There are no inpatient
services at this clinic.
The Clinic has the capability to treat a range of injuries and illnesses, including: minor illnesses and injuries,
minor surgeries, minor burns, dental treatment, paediatric consultations, mild to moderate asthma, stable
angina, food poisoning, worm and parasitic infestations, skin infections, as well as preventive care services
including vaccinations and occupational health/fitness to work assessments.
Cases that cannot be treated in Shell Clinic Gabon include antenatal care and any cases requiring
hospitalisation: for example major surgery and intensive care.
For
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non-urgent, outpatient
Paediatrician:
Ophthalmologist:
Dentist:
specialist services, we have the following visiting specialists at Gamba.
2 visits per month.
1 visit per month.
2 visits per month.
For further details, see Appendix A: Shell Clinic Gabon.
Medical Emergencies
In case a medical emergency1 in Gamba, call 1111 or 01558888. If immediate medical care is required,
the operator will dispatch a designated first aider (fire crew with defibrillator and resuscitation equipment) as
well as the duty doctor. For non acute cases (i.e. not requiring an ambulance), the operator will arrange for
the duty doctor to call you back within 10 minutes.
Emergency cases that can be treated includes minor cuts, bruises, minor burns, snake bites (requiring antivenom), and simple fractures, and early/mild malaria.
For emergencies requiring specialist care or intervention, we will arrange a medical evacuation to the
nearest appropriate hospital. See “Medical Evacuations” below.
For a more detailed overview of Emergency Response, see Appendix B: Emergency Response in Gamba.
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Emergency. A serious medical condition which requires immediate treatment, generally within 24 hours of
onset, and which would otherwise put the person’s health at risk.
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Medical Evacuations
In the event of a medical emergency which cannot be managed in Gamba, Shell Health will arrange for a
medical evacuation2 to the nearest appropriate hospital for medical treatment. We will arrange for the
medical transportation, medical escort(s) and en-route medical care as necessary.
The need for medical evacuation differs from case to case. In general, the following illnesses will require a
medical evacuation outside of Gamba: Large burns, complicated fractures, amputations, brain injuries, neardrowning, severe malaria, appendicitis, spine injuries, major surgery, meningitis, septicaemia, stroke, and
heart attacks.
The common receiving hospitals within Gabon are: Total Clinic (Port-Gentil), El Rapha (Libreville), or Military
Hospital (Libreville). The hospitals in Libreville have a 24-hour accident and emergency department,
operating rooms, intensive care units, and support services such as laboratory and radiology. They are
capable in treating a range of emergencies including internal medicine, general surgery, orthopaedic,
paediatric, ENT and gynaecologic. Your treating doctor and the medivac provider will make a decision
based on the availability of subspecialty, the hospital’s experience in that subspecialty, and the travel time to
the hospital.
The relevant policy for Shell Gabon Staff on Regular Terms as outlined by Manuel de Gestion is as follows:
III - LA COUVERTURE MEDICALE
3.2. Soins Médicaux Spécialisés
Hors du Gabon, l’évacuation sanitaire ne peut se faire que par l’intermédiaire des services compétents
de la CNSS en coordination avec le Médecin Shell.
V - EMPLOYES HORS DU GABON PENDANT UNE PERIODE DE STAGE OU DE VOYAGE D’AFFAIRES
La Société prend en charge tous les frais médicaux qu’elle juge avoir un caractère imprévisible. En cas
d’affection grave, l’employé(e) doit contacter le responsable du stage ou les personnes visitées qui
prendront contact avec le Service Médical Shell le plus proche qui, à son tour, informera Shell Gabon.
VI - SOINS MEDICAUX PENDANT LES CONGES
6.2. Hors du Gabon
Les frais médicaux encourus hors du Gabon ne sont pas pris en charge par la Société. Cependant,
certains cas à caractère imprévisibles sont laissés à l’appréciation du Médecin Shell et de la Direction
des Ressources Humaines. Il est fortement conseillé aux employé(e)s de souscrire une assurance maladie
couvrant la période des congés. En cas de maladie grave, il convient toutefois de prévenir le médecin
Shell, afin qu’il y ait un suivi médical après.
In practice, Shell Health Gabon arranges and pays the medical costs of overseas medical evacuation and
medical care of Shell Gabon staff and eligible dependents if their condition is urgent and cannot be treated
in Gabon.
Non-Emergencies
Most minor injuries and illnesses can be treated in the Shell Clinic Gabon. However, there are a number of
non-emergencies that requires specialist care or intervention. While there are visiting specialists in Shell Clinic
Gabon, these are limited to these specialities (paediatrics, ophthalmology and dentistry).
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Medical Evacuation. The timely transport and en-route medical care provided to an ill/injured person
requiring urgent medical care which is not available in Gamba, to a better-equipped facility at a different
location.
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Shell Clinic Gabon will advise you if specialist care is needed, and will arrange a specialist referral,
transportation and accommodation within Gabon. These include:
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Clinique Redivision
Clinique Mia
El Rapha
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Cabinet de Groupe
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Union Medicale
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Military Hospital
Clinique Bilie
Cabinet de Groupe
Libreville
Dr Atzeni
1. Dental
2. Endocrinology
3. General Surgery
4. Gynaecology
5. Internal Medicine
6. Neurosurgery
7. Ophthalmology
8. Orthopaedic Surgery
9. Otorhinolaryngology
10. Paediatrics
11. Psychiatry
Total Clinic
Cabinet Dr Borie
Port-Gentil
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Referral locations may vary, depending upon the nature of the case, the level of urgency, the location of the
hospital in relation to the available transportation options, the availability of the appropriate specialist and
the treating team at the hospital at that particular time, their current state of readiness, and the availability of
beds at the hospital.
Pregnancy
Options for a safe delivery in Gamba are limited. Should you become pregnant whilst on assignment in
Gamba, Shell Health advises that you to return to Port Gentil or Libreville in the later stages of pregnancy to
deliver the baby. Please refer to the Shell Gabon Manuel de Gestion (3.6 and 3.7) for more information on
entitlements.
Costs of Treatment
Any treatment received by Shell employee staff and dependants at Shell Clinic Gabon is free of charge.
Transportation and treatment associated with medical emergency evacuations within Gabon is covered by
Shell Gabon.
In cases of non-emergency referrals, transportation, accommodation and treatment costs associated with
specialist referrals within Gabon are covered by Shell Gabon, according to the policy as described in the
Manuel de Gestion.
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Appendix A: Shell Clinic Gabon
Location/Address/Telephone
Shell Clinic Gabon
Yenzi Camp, Gamba, BP 48, Gabon.
Tel: +24101559442
Facilities:
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Emergency Room
Laboratory
X-ray
Treatment room
Observation room
Ambulance
Staff:
3
3
1
1
1
3
full time Doctors
full time Nurses (with responsibilities in Pharmacy and X-ray)
Administrator
Occupational Health Assistant
Laboratory Technician
Visiting Specialists (paediatrician, ophthalmologist, dentist)
Opening Hours
Monday – Friday: 7.30 am – 3.30 pm
Saturday:
9.00 am – 11.00 am
For out of hours emergencies: call 1111 or 01558888.
Shell Health Gabon July 2012
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Appendix B: Emergency Response in Gamba
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