Before you travel: build the plan
Confirm your facility's escalation protocol
Ask directly what happens if a complication requires a higher level of care than your specific facility provides.
Get medical evacuation insurance if your trip warrants it
A distinct product from general travel insurance — specifically covers emergency transport to a higher level of care.
Save your embassy's contact information
The US Embassy in Bogotá (or the relevant embassy for your destination) can assist with emergencies, though its role in medical situations is limited to consular support, not medical intervention.
Designate an emergency contact with full context
Someone at home who has your itinerary, clinic contact information, and medical records, and knows to expect a check-in.
What emergency evacuation insurance actually covers
Emergency transport to a higher level of care — potentially a medically equipped flight — if your specific facility can't provide what's needed. This is distinct from standard travel insurance, which often excludes exactly this scenario for elective-procedure complications. See colombiamedical.co for network-wide facility and safety resources.
The Takeaway
A written emergency plan costs nothing and takes twenty minutes to build — do it before you travel, not as an afterthought.