Corelatin is an independent patient-support and hospital-companion service. We are not a hospital, clinic, TPA, or insurance company and we do not process cashless claims or make medical decisions. We work alongside the hospitals and doctors you choose, providing non-medical bedside assistance, hospital navigation, appointment coordination, and real-time updates for your family. All clinical treatment, billing, and insurance matters remain with the treating hospital and your insurer or TPA.
Medical emergencies are unpredictable, and when you are thousands of miles away from your parents in India, the fear can feel paralysing. The good news is that a well-prepared plan and a trusted local response can save critical time. This guide explains exactly what to do in the first minutes and hours of a medical emergency, from anywhere in the world.
Before any emergency, create a simple one-page emergency sheet. It should include:
Keep this sheet on the phone wallpaper of your parents, the local contact, and a family WhatsApp group. Print a laminated copy and keep it on the refrigerator. Do not hide it in a file that nobody can find.
During an emergency, focus on three things in this order:
Do not try to diagnose over the phone. Your job is to enable fast, safe transport and keep the hospital informed.
If your parent needs to reach the hospital and you are in another country, ask the local contact or a hospital companion to go immediately. They should take the emergency sheet, insurance card, and any medicines. Even if you are flying back, having someone on the ground within 30 minutes changes the entire experience for your parent.
A trained companion can rush to the house or the hospital, help with triage, explain the medical history to the staff, carry documents, and start the insurance paperwork. They can also send you real-time updates so you can make decisions quickly. For non-medical but high-stress tasks, a companion is often the first responder your family needs.
Not every hospital is equipped for every emergency. For chest pain or stroke, go to a hospital with a cardiac or neurology emergency unit. For fractures or falls, an orthopaedic emergency may be needed. For sudden breathlessness, a multi-specialty hospital with ICU is safer. If you are unsure, call the ambulance or a doctor for advice. In a real crisis, do not waste time choosing between hospitals — go to the nearest one that can handle emergencies and transfer later if needed.
Hospitals often ask for a deposit before emergency admission, and the TPA approval may not be instant. Keep a medical emergency fund in India that a local contact can access. Even a few thousand rupees in cash or UPI can help with immediate medicines, ambulance fees, or tests. Do not assume cashless approval will happen at the emergency door.
From abroad, your instinct will be to call repeatedly. Instead, ask one family member or the companion to be your single point of contact. Give them 10-15 minute check-in windows. In those windows, ask for concrete information: blood pressure, doctor's name, test done, and next step. Avoid giving medical orders. Trust the treating team and focus on decisions that only the family can make — such as surgery consent or hospital transfer.
Plan to fly back for major surgeries, prolonged ICU stays, or any situation where your parent cannot make decisions. Book the earliest reasonable flight rather than waiting for perfect timing. If you cannot fly immediately, a companion can represent you and keep you connected until you arrive.
Corelatin is an independent patient-support and hospital-companion service. We are not a hospital, clinic, TPA, or insurance company, and we do not process cashless claims or make medical decisions. We work alongside the hospitals and doctors you choose, providing non-medical bedside assistance, hospital navigation, appointment coordination, and real-time updates for your family. All clinical treatment, billing, and insurance matters remain with the treating hospital and your insurer or TPA.
To prepare your family for medical emergencies in Delhi NCR, explore our emergency companion support or call the Corelatin team to create an emergency plan.