The organisation says the actions of Mr David Callender, brother of Mr Gordon Callender, and the media attention related to those actions have necessitated a release. Photo: Team of Reporters

The organisation says the actions of Mr David Callender, brother of Mr Gordon Callender, and the media attention related to those actions have necessitated a release.

For those who are not familiar, MASA Assist is the Caribbean’s largest emergency medical transportation provider, serving more than 500,000 members throughout the Bahamas, the U.S Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, the Eastern Caribbean and Guyana. Through its partnership with REVA, MASA Assist transports more 400 members per year – making it the largest medical air transportation provider in the Caribbean.

On January 10, 2019, MASA Assist received a request on behalf of Mr Gordon Callender, a MASA Assist member since 2003, for his transportation, via privately charter medical air ambulance, from Peebles Hospital in Tortola, where he had been receiving medical treatment, to his family’s home in Trinidad.

At the time of the request, all correspondence and documentation submitted to MASA Assist indicated that Mr Gordon Callender was in stable condition and fit for discharge to his home in Tortola where he would begin out-patient, rehabilitative care. Per Mr Gordon Callender’s request, he desired to be transported from his home in Tortola to his family’s home in Trinidad so that he may perform his out-patient, rehabilitative care nearer to his family.

Mr Gordon Callender’s request for medical transportation was elective in nature and was neither requested nor deemed medically necessary by his treating physician(s) for the on-going treatment of his medical condition(s). In fact, all correspondence and documentation submitted to MASA Assist supported that Mr Gordon Callender was receiving the highest level of medical attention available in the area and would receive a comparable high-level of out-patient rehabilitative care in Tortola.

On or around January 11, 2019, MASA Assist informed Mr Gordon Callender that his request for transportation was denied on the basis that such request was elective in nature and not medically necessary for the on-going treatment of his medical condition(s). Such elective transportation requests are not covered under the terms and conditions of MASA Assist’s Member Services Agreement.

Upon protest, Mr Gordon Callender was additionally informed that he did not qualify for recuperative transportation under the terms and conditions of the Member Services Agreement, as such recuperative transportations were associated with a member’s return to their residence in the event that they are hospitalized abroad. As Mr Gordon Callender was a Tortola resident and not a Trinidad resident, such recuperative transportation services were not applicable.

Despite this denial, MASA Assist, understanding Mr. Gordon Callender’s desire to be reunited with his family and appreciating his years of service to the Tortola community, offered Mr. Gordon Callender two (2) first-class commercial tickets, upon his discharge from Peebles Hospital, for him and his brother, Mr. David Callender, to return to Trinidad. This offer was rejected on multiple occasions by both Mr Gordon Callender and Mr David Callender.

It has come to MASA Assist’s attention, through the media appearances by Mr David Callender, that Mr Gordon Callender will be transported by the British Virgin Islands government.

Despite the multiple rejections on the part of Mr Gordon Callender and Mr David Callender, MASA Assist has repeatedly reiterated its willingness to assist Mr Gordon Callender in his recovery in any way reasonably possible.

Further, MASA Assists remains committed to providing the highest level of service and care to our more than 500,000 Caribbean and 1,200,000 United States members.