Profile: Emergency service officer

Barbara Wassard has lived in Colombia and travelled throughout the world. She has a degree in linguistics and has previously worked in the service department of Bupa International’s Latin American division.

We are the first point of contact when you call the emergency hotline. As emergency service officer, I get lots of calls and emails where we have to secure prior approval for treatment - for example if somebody is having a baby in a couple of months' time. The earlier people contact us the better so that we can guarantee payment for their treatment.

Sometimes people will call the emergency number just to settle an old claim, make changes or additions to their police and we transfer them straight to our service department.

Knowing the situation

I draw a lot from my own experiences in my work. I have dived in Australia, Africa, Mexico, Netherlands Antilles and many other places and I know the thoughts and concerns people have when travelling in these regions. When somebody calls up thinking they might have decompression sickness or illness, you know the danger signals to look for. If you are in a foreign country, we can guide you through your problems and make sure you get the best assistance.

Sometimes we have to go through a local partner when people get injured in remote locations. We’ll speak to the local providers and look at what’s included in our customers’ cover so they can get the best possible treatment. If in doubt we ask our in-house doctors. Two of them also work for the Danish national rescue service so they know what is possible. They have been there and done it.

Finding inspiration

I worked for a Danish travel emergency company during the Indian Ocean tsunami and practically lived in the alarm centre during the first week. It was horrible. We had to stop people travelling to the region to find their loved ones and quickly assemble a team of doctors, nurses and psychologists to go out there. It was chaos.

There are some difficult and tragic cases that stay with you for a long time. But it also rewarding to secure treatment for a pregnant woman or help a young boy get fast treatment after he’s fallen down from a playhouse at school and fractured his elbow.

The best thing about this job is that you make a difference. The languages, the medical aspect, the contact with people: these are all reasons why I find this job so exciting. When I was travelling in Argentina my younger brother died. I was so impressed and grateful for the support and care I received from my insurance company when I had to be repatriated to Denmark for the funeral. It really inspired me to work in this business.