From Sicily we organise medical repatriation from A to Z: ambulance transport, medical escort, stretcher flights, air ambulance and bed-to-bed coordination to Belgium, the Netherlands and beyond.
When someone becomes seriously ill or has an accident in Sicilia, the question of whether returning to Belgium or the Netherlands is possible and advisable soon arises. Bryan Morgan Care guides that process from start to finish: from the initial assessment to ambulance transport, medical escort on a scheduled flight, stretcher transport, air ambulance and the final bed-to-bed handover.
There is no standard package that suits everyone. We reassess each time what the patient needs: mobility, pain experience, oxygen requirements, any recent procedure, infection risk and the fit-to-fly assessment. These factors, together with the distance to an airport and the reception on arrival, determine the final choice.
Here you will find information specifically about Sicilia as a city. For the wider region, including surrounding municipalities, please refer to our regional page.
When a medical situation arises in Sicilia, we assess the options together with the treating doctors: continue treatment locally, refer the patient to another centre elsewhere in Italy, or arrange a return to Belgium or the Netherlands.
In addition to the volcanic interior, Taormina, high on a cliff near Mount Etna, is Sicily's most popular tourist attraction and also the gateway to the Aeolian Islands via the ferry from Milazzo.
Repatriation from Sicilia requires a fully planned route: from the place of residence or hospital, through the local ambulance phase and ferry or airport options, to the medical documents, transport choice and reception at the final destination.
The most suitable option depends on the medical situation: ambulance transport, medical escort on a scheduled flight, a stretcher flight or an air ambulance are all possible.
Repatriation is about ensuring that a patient returns home, to a hospital or to a rehabilitation centre in a safe and medically responsible manner. In addition to the distance, comfort, mobility, pain, oxygen requirements, medical handover and practical feasibility are also taken into account.
The SS114 coastal road becomes heavily congested with tourist traffic during the high season, and volcanic activity from Mount Etna can temporarily close roads around Taormina or reduce visibility. If flying is not necessary or advisable, ambulance transport often provides a safe alternative — for example, for transfers within Italy, transport to an airport, transfers between hospitals, or even a return to Belgium or the Netherlands if the distance permits this medically.
Depending on the condition, we provide suitable transport with nursing, paramedic or specialised support. Transport in a lying position, oxygen, monitoring and handover to a receiving healthcare facility can also form part of the process.
Catania Fontanarossa Airport (CTA) is closest to Taormina, but may temporarily close in the event of ash clouds from Mount Etna, with flights then diverted to Palermo on the other side of the island.
For a departure from Sicilia, Catania Fontanarossa Airport (CTA) is generally considered, depending on availability and the route. The right airport also depends on availability, medical clearance, flight duration, connections and the final destination. Where necessary, we arrange assistance, medical documents, escorts and connections with ambulance transport.
In a critical, unstable or highly time-sensitive case, a dedicated air ambulance is sometimes the only safe option — for example, in cases involving ICU care, ventilation, severe trauma, neurological problems or complex infections.
The team, equipment, route, timing, ambulances at departure and arrival and the handover at the receiving hospital: with an air ambulance, everything is fully coordinated according to the medical urgency.
For patients who cannot sit for long periods but for whom an ambulance jet is not necessary, a stretcher on board a scheduled flight may provide a solution. This takes place in a lying position, under supervision, and always after prior medical approval from the airline.
This requires more preparation than a regular flight: medical forms, airline approval, planning of the lying-down section, escort team, ambulance to the airport and reception at the destination.
Flying or travelling for long periods after surgery is not automatically safe. Factors such as pain, risk of thrombosis, oxygen requirements, wound care, risk of infection, immobility and possible complications must be carefully assessed.
We take responsibility for collecting medical information, consulting doctors and choosing a safe route. Depending on the situation, an escort on a scheduled flight may be sufficient, or transport in a lying position, additional oxygen, stretcher transport or an air ambulance may be required.
From the first contact to safe arrival, we professionally guide every step. The exact approach depends on the medical situation, destination and chosen form of transport.
After your initial contact, we quickly map out the most important medical and practical details.
We assess the condition, mobility, pain level, oxygen requirements and available documents.
You receive a specific, feasible proposal with the right transport option and a clear cost estimate.
Once you give your approval, we arrange the transport, medical support, documents and handover.
From departure to destination — home, hospital or rehabilitation centre — the patient remains accompanied.
The examples below, anonymised and partly from Italy itself, illustrate how diverse international medical repatriation can be: palliative journeys, ICU transport, medical escort, MICU and complex stretcher or ambulance planning.
After suffering a heart attack during a stay in Italy, the patient, following stabilisation and fit-to-fly approval, was accompanied by a nurse on a regular scheduled flight home, with continuous monitoring during the flight.
During a stay in Italy, a patient developed acute kidney problems requiring dialysis. After consultation with the treating nephrologist, a transfer was organised to a centre closer to home, with medical support and the necessary equipment en route.
After an epileptic seizure during a stay in Italy, the family wanted the patient to be followed up by their regular neurologist at home as soon as possible. After medical stabilisation, a scheduled flight with nursing support was organised.
A patient with advanced disease had to be taken to a hospital in Portugal to spend their final stage there. Due to the need for oxygen and limited reserves, this was an extremely vulnerable journey. The journey was carried out by road with oxygen supply, monitoring, medical support and continuous assessment en route.
An elderly patient with a hip fracture after a fall during a winter sports holiday could not sit upright for long periods. A stretcher space on a scheduled flight was chosen, with prior approval from the airline and subsequent ambulance transport to and from the airport.
In some cases, payment is handled through travel insurance, a mutual health insurance fund, an assistance company or an employer; other families organise the repatriation entirely themselves. Even without insurance, you can contact us directly for advice and, where possible, a clear quotation.
We are open about what is possible, which limitations apply, the timing and the expected costs. We do not look for the most expensive means of transport, but for the solution that is medically safe and practically feasible.
Bryan Morgan Care is not an anonymous lead-generation site that forwards enquiries. We are an operational medical transport organisation with experience in international repatriation, ambulance transport, medical escorts, stretcher journeys and complex patient transfers.
You speak with people who understand medical transport, can correctly assess a case and organise the practical steps — exactly what matters when a family needs clarity quickly.
Suppose a patient is admitted to a hospital in or near Sicilia: we request the medical information, assess the condition, consult with the doctors and develop one or more options, always with the same goal — a safe bed-to-bed handover.
When the patient is stable, we generally choose a scheduled flight with medical support; for limited mobility, a stretcher flight or ambulance transport; and in cases of severity or instability, sometimes an air ambulance.
Even when there is not yet approval from an insurer, Bryan Morgan Care can work directly with you to consider a safe solution from Sicilia.
Yes. Depending on the medical condition, this can be done by ambulance, scheduled flight with medical support, stretcher flight or air ambulance.
Yes, it is also possible without insurance. You can contact us directly for advice, and where possible we will provide a clear quotation without the involvement of an insurer.
Yes. We support discharge planning, medical handover and communication with doctors, family and receiving healthcare facilities.
Where medically and practically feasible, we try to facilitate this as much as possible, although the patient's safety and medical condition always come first in the final planning.
Catania Fontanarossa Airport (CTA) is closest to Taormina, but may temporarily close in the event of ash clouds from Mount Etna, with flights then diverted to Palermo on the other side of the island.
EU membership mainly regulates access to necessary care during your stay (for example, via the European Health Insurance Card), but it does not cover organised repatriation. Separate planning remains necessary for a safe return to Belgium or the Netherlands.
We always take the wider region around Sicilia into consideration — a nearby hospital, airport or border route may sometimes be more practical than the most obvious alternative.
Those researching medical repatriation often also look for information about other locations in Italy, such as Abruzzo, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lazio. These locations are logically connected by distance, hospital care, airport routes or ambulance transport to surrounding areas.
This creates a clear network of medical repatriation, ambulance transport, medical flights, stretcher transport and bed-to-bed support throughout Italy.
We are also active outside Sicilia, including in the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Portugal, Croatia and the United Kingdom. The medical approach remains comparable, but in practice differs from country to country due to different airports, distances and local healthcare structures.
Contact us for ambulance transport, medical flight, stretcher transport or air ambulance from Sicilia.