ICU Patient Transfer in Sharjah

What is an inter-hospital transfer?

An inter-hospital transfer moves a seriously ill patient from one hospital to another while their care continues on the way. It is a clinical decision made between doctors, and it follows a set sequence: a doctor at the receiving hospital agrees to take over, the patient is made as steady as possible, a suitably equipped ambulance with a clinical escort is arranged, and the full medical record travels with them.

At Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah, the intensivist leads every transfer from the critical care unit. The same careful steps apply in the other direction, when a patient comes to us from another hospital. The wider picture of the unit is on the Critical Care and ICU page.

Who needs it

A transfer is usually considered for one of three reasons.

• A specialist service elsewhere. Some treatments are concentrated in a small number of specialist centres, for example continuous dialysis for failing kidneys, specialist neurosurgery, or a dedicated burns unit. When your relative needs one of these, moving them to a centre that provides it is the right step for their care. How kidney support is planned is explained on the acute kidney support page.
• Closer to home or family. A patient taken ill while visiting Sharjah, or working far from their family, may be moved to a hospital nearer the people who will support them, once they are stable enough.
• Insurance network. Some UAE insurance plans cover care at particular network hospitals, and a move may be arranged so treatment continues under your relative's cover.

Transfers into Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah also happen, when another hospital asks for an intensive care bed or for the care our team provides. These admissions are described under intensive care admission.

What happens

Doctor-to-doctor agreement. The intensivist speaks directly with a senior doctor at the receiving hospital, explains your relative's condition and treatment, and confirms that a bed and the right team are ready. The move goes ahead only once the receiving team has accepted.

Stabilising first. Before leaving, the team makes your relative as safe as possible for the journey. That can mean securing the breathing tube, checking every line and drip, adjusting blood pressure support, and making sure enough of each infusion is prepared for the trip. Sometimes the safest choice is to wait until breathing or circulation is steadier.

The journey. A suitably equipped ambulance with a clinical escort is arranged. The escort is chosen to match your relative's needs: for a patient on a ventilator this is usually a doctor or nurse skilled in airway care, who continues monitoring and treatment on the road. Portable monitors, oxygen and the essential medicines travel with them.

Records and scans. A written summary goes with your relative, covering the diagnosis, treatments given, current medicines by purpose, allergies, recent results and copies of scans. The receiving doctor also receives a spoken handover, so nothing depends on paperwork alone.

Arrival. The escort stays until the receiving team has taken over at the bedside, then returns.

Preparing for it

There is a lot you can do to help the move go smoothly, and it is kind to yourself to share the jobs out.

• Choose one family contact who speaks with both hospitals, so updates stay clear and consistent.
• Keep your relative's documents together: Emirates ID or passport, insurance card, and any reports or medicines lists from before this illness.
• Ask the team your questions before the ambulance leaves: why the move is advised, where your relative is going, and whom to call on arrival.
• Share your relative's wishes, including any advance decisions and religious or cultural needs, so they are passed to the receiving team.
• Plan your own travel. Families usually travel separately, because space in the ambulance is kept for the patient and the escort. Take the name of the receiving ward and the hospital's number with you.

Visiting arrangements at the receiving hospital are explained by that unit.

Afterwards

Once your relative arrives, the receiving team becomes responsible for their care and will speak with your family contact. Relatives abroad can be kept informed through that one contact, who passes news on. If your relative later improves, a move back to a hospital nearer home is sometimes possible, and the treating team can advise on this.

If you have a question about a transfer that is being planned, call 06 599 7777 or ask to speak with the ICU doctor. After arrival, contact the receiving hospital's team with any questions about your relative's care.

Cost and insurance

Most UAE insurance plans cover a clinically needed transfer, and the insurer usually needs to give approval before a planned move, both for the ambulance and for the admission at the receiving hospital. The insurance office at Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah can help your family with the paperwork on 06 599 7777. Support for families through this time is described under family communication and support.