International SOS has been pioneering remote medical services for over 30 years and servicing all major oil and gas organizations in Angola for the past 17 years. The company speaks to Africa Energy Series: Angola about adapting to recent changes in the oil and gas sector and providing medical services without compromising quality.
Jerril Alex
Head of Sales, Angola
International SOS
Please give us an overview of the services International SOS supplies for the oil and gas industry in Angola.
International SOS is a global medical and travel security assistance company. In Angola and specifically for the oil and gas industry, we provide holistic onshore and offshore medical and security solutions, such as qualified and experienced medical staff that follow international standards of medical delivery, along with support from our global assistance center to ensure coverage for all our members on-site along with medical evacuation solutions. Our on-site solutions are further complemented by our medical supply service, first aid training capabilities and three international quality medical centers in Luanda. Currently unique to Angola, International SOS provides a customized Health Administration Service for large organizations within the country. This service provides a medical approach to health solutions and ensures cost efficiency while in Angola and for cases managed outside of Angola. We always advise our clients to put their efforts into what they specialize in and allow International SOS as the medical experts to put together a detailed health care solution for their projects as specialists in the field.
What are the main challenges for doing business in this sector in Angola?
The immediate challenge for International SOS in Angola is to find suitable and competitive medical personnel to work in offshore and remote locations. Additionally, we have witnessed a challenge with medication and consumables in the country, which is essential to our business and the well being of our members. When an organization needs to understand the full medical risks of a remote project, requires on-the-ground medical support and medical equipment and necessitates a customized evacuation plan, it can be very daunting.
International SOS is constantly striving to be proactive in ensuring that health standards are met as set out by the client or by the government in the country in which the client is operating. As such, the precarious nature of some remote environments in which many oil and gas companies operate can also make ensuring the wellbeing of their people and the security of other assets a major challenge. In the midst of these challenges, oil and gas companies also have a business to run. So not only do they have to provide their employees with the highest possible standards in meeting their duty of care but also they need to drive productivity while managing and controlling their costs in a sustainable way.
What is your outlook for 2019 and beyond?
In Angola, there have been significant changes in the oil and gas sector. After talking to our clients, we believe Angola is set to see a new phase of the industry in 2020 and beyond. Our aim is to continue to deliver leading health solutions that have our clients’ business outcomes in mind. Providing medical solutions that support their agenda around cost reduction and productivity gains without compromising on quality is our priority.
