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by their side, monitoring the whole process
closely. From consultation to treatment,
our health professionals help the guests
throughout their recovery with profession-
alism and empathy.” Safe Away also takes
care of all the required paperwork related
to insurance and flight authorizations.
Savoy Palace includes a package of lim-
ited health services offered by Safe Away
as part of the benefits it provides members.
Guests who are not members are also wel-
come to contact Safe Away and book health
services at their own expense.
The advantage to the resort is profound,
Ávila adds. “Safe Away can turn a difficult
situation into an experience that reinforces
the guest’s loyalty to a resort like Savoy
Palace.”
The Doctor Is In
Some resorts in remote locations where quality health care is inconsis-
tent, or where language and culture differences complicate care, are
making the case for an on-site medical care facility.
Paradise Village Beach Resort & Spa in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico,
contracted with an independent company to operate a third-level hos-
pital, designated as such for its highly specialized staff, differentiated
clinical services, and technical equipment on-site at the resort.
Angsana Vacation Club in Phuket, Thailand, sends guests in
need of medical care to Bangkok International Clinic in Canal Village,
a commercial center adjacent to the resort. Staffed by doctors with
advanced training from top medical schools around the world, the out-
reach clinic is one of many operated by the prestigious Bangkok Dusit
Medical Services, catering to foreigners staying in resorts and hotels
across the island.
Well-known hotel brands including Hilton and Four Seasons
guarantee around-the-clock-care in remote locations such as the
Seychelles through ResortDoc, a network of carefully vetted physicians
who trade services for a stay at the resort. Visiting doctors specializing
in emergency medicine, family medicine, or basic surgery practice in
an on-site clinic equipped to ResortDoc’s standards. Depending on the
location, some clinics have decompression chambers to treat scuba
diving accidents.
Nothing to Sneeze At
Contagious illnesses such as norovirus (commonly known as the
stomach flu), Legionnaires’ disease, and even the common cold add
another layer of complexity to a comprehensive plan for protecting the
health of guests and employees. While no contagious disease is strictly
preventable — especially in the hours before the staff becomes aware
that a guest is sick — precautions and strict protocols for cleaning,
water safety, and food handling should be in place to quickly contain
the spread of the illness, long before a guest shows symptoms.
In addition to having a comprehensive cleaning checklist, which
includes disinfecting all surfaces — from door handles to TV remotes —
when transitioning a room from one guest to another, MVW properties
contract with companies that continuously monitor air and water qual-
ity at the room level and in common areas, including swimming pools
and hot tubs, Kinney says.
“We follow the guidelines and protocols provided by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health depart-
ments within the municipality,” Kinney says. High priorities on the CDC’s
detailed recommendations are that sick guests stay in their rooms for at
least 24 hours after their fever breaks, that surfaces in common areas
be disinfected more frequently than usual, and that face masks covering
both mouth and nose be provided to cleaning staff, as well as guests in
common areas. Guests or staff members at higher risk for complications
from flu are urged to seek medical care as soon as possible.
Paradise Village Beach Resort & Spa also supplies antibacterial gel
in common areas, including restaurants, and may discard bed linens
or towels depending on the circumstances, says Raymundo Huertas,
rooms division manager.
Because norovirus is the culprit in more than 90 percent of cruise
ship gastrointestinal (GI) illness outbreaks, the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation
Program inspects and scores voyages lasting three to 21 days with
at least 100 passengers, reporting on outbreaks where 3 percent or
more of passengers or crew indicated symptoms of illness to the ship’s
medical staff on its database.
A Cocktail for Disaster
Food may also be contaminated during a flu outbreak — and as epi-
sodes of GI illnesses are not uncommon among vacationers in certain
locations, food handling protocols are essential.
“When you have a guest staying at a resort for multiple days and
they develop food poisoning, it is just as likely it is something that
they’ve contracted off property,” Kinney says. “We know what we do
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