Emergency Medical Services.docx

Subject: USAID/Afghanistan Request for Information for Medical Services and Patient Care during Emergency

To: All Interested Respondents/Parties:

The United States Government, coordinated by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through its Mission in Afghanistan, is publishing this Request for Information (RFI) in order to obtain information and input from all interested entities on Medical Services and Patient Care in cases of Emergency for its Third Country National (TCN) employees. The information will be used to help make planning decisions in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10 and FAR 15.201(e).

This RFI announcement is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a Request for Proposals (RFP). Responses to this RFI are not applications or official proposals and will in no way be deemed to form any binding agreement with the RFI issuing authority. Proprietary information should not be sent. USAID may use any information provided without incurring any obligation. USAID reserves the right to, or not to, incorporate any, some, or none of the comments received from this RFI into any subsequent solicitations or design documents.

Interested offerors must submit a brief but complete capability statement that demonstrates the capability to perform the type of tasks described below. This information will be used by the Contracting Officer to assist in developing the procurement strategy and in soliciting input to determine the technical, administrative, management and financial capability of potential offerors to perform this kind of work.

It is the potential applicant's responsibility to monitor the site for the release of any further information. It should be noted that responding to this RFI will not give any advantage to any organization in any subsequent procurement. All types of organizations and firms are strongly encouraged to provide information/comments. Any information submitted in response to this notice is voluntary.

All responses must be submitted electronically in English to Contracting Officer, Warren Gray at kblaidexo-procurement@usaid.gov USAID requests a response to this market survey no later than March 3, 2020 at 23:00 EST. No basis for claims against the U.S. Government shall arise as a result of a response to this request for information or from the U.S. Government's use of such information. FAR Clause 52.215-3 REQUEST FOR INFORMATION OR SOLICITATION FOR PLANNING PURPOSES (OCT 1997) is attached and made part of this RFI. USAID is not responsible for any costs incurred in responding to this RFI.

It is requested that the information shall be provided no later than 3 March 2020 @ 23:00 Eastern Standard Time (EST). Responses should be emailed to kblaidexo-procurement@usaid.gov The point of contact for this action is Mr. Manaye Abera at MABERA@USAID.GOV Thank you for your interest in this RFI and we look forward to your comments/feedback.

ALL RESPONSES WILL BE UTILIZED TO DETERMINE THE PROCUREMENT PATH FOR THESE REQUIREMENTS.

BACKGROUND:

USAID/Afghanistan is in the process of establishing a worldwide medical evacuation service contract. The firm will provide assistance to USAID employees on assignment and in temporary duty status in Afghanistan, where medical care is inadequate. The services are based on availability 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to assist USAID/Afghanistan employees in locating adequate medical assistance, language interpreting assistance with Doctors and when required - evacuate the employee to another country for modern medical assistance. This is a source sought notice for any firm who can provide the world-wide medical evacuation services noted above. Interested firms must submit their capability statements for providing world-wide medical evacuation services.

SCOPE OF WORK:

The Contractor shall provide emergency aero-medical evacuation and in route medical support to advanced care medical facilities for USAID TCNs located in the U.S Embassy Kabul mission. The total number of TCNs under the scope of this contract is approximately 35. The Contractor will acquire permission/clearance for its aircraft (either organic to its organization or subcontracted) to comply with requirements of the evacuation areas.

Due to the unique security environment in Afghanistan, there are challenges with coordinating emergency medical care for some working in a war zone. The initial care is provided via the Embassy or U.S. military means. At times, this population requires emergency transfer to the nearest center of medical excellence, requiring visas for entry, medical coverage, and transport, including Air Ambulance or Medical escort in an expeditious manner. In most instances, these TCNs require transport from Bagram Airfield or Kabul International Airport to a regional medical center such as New Delhi, Istanbul, and Dubai, or their home country. They also require an accepting facility of high quality, covered by insurance. Due to difficulties of operating in a war zone, coordination of transport can be lengthy when time is of the essence, and medical transport teams face unique restrictions given the operating environment.

Non-personal services shall be provided under this contract. Personnel rendering the services are not subject, either by the contract’s terms or by the manner of its administration, to the supervision and control usually prevailing in relationships between the Government and its employees. The Contractor shall not under any circumstances perform inherently governmental functions (as defined in FAR 7.5) under this contract.

SPECIFIC TASKS IDENTIFIED:

The following tasks are envisioned to be performed under the Scope of Work:

Medical Evacuation.

The Contractor shall arrange and manage the medical evacuation of personnel upon request from USAID. The Contractor is responsible for providing all equipment, medical personnel, and any other resources necessary to transport personnel to a medical treatment facility. It shall be the Contractor's responsibility to secure a patient's entry visa for the country the TCN is being medically evacuated. In addition, coordinate admission to a medical treatment facility.

All requests for services shall be verified by the USAID or U.S. Embassy Afghanistan Point of Contact, who will be serving as the designated ordering officer. In the case of severe, life-threatening emergencies concurrent or post verification will be acceptable. Potential evacuation resources must be identified and screened in advance to allow timely access to Kabul, Afghanistan. Medical evacuations must be initiated within 24 hours of determination that the patient must be evacuated, and service is requested.

Note: “initiated” means that the Contractor shall have all necessary arrangements (to include any agreements and/or subcontracts) in place and a plane departing for the evacuation’s origin.

a. Provide Medical Personnel. A licensed consulting physician shall be available twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week, certified in Emergency Medicine and experienced in aero-medical evacuations. Where in-flight medical personnel are required to support the patient, the supporting medical personnel must be licensed or certified in their respective originating country, such as a licensed physician or nurse. The Contractor must have a representative available within 6 hours of the evacuation request to initiate the evacuation.

a. Business Availability. The Contractor shall be available via telephone twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week during emergency call. The Contractor shall provide access to files and records of emergency aero-medical evacuations and the in-transit support/treatments provided.

a. Communication Facilities. The Contractor shall establish and maintain a communication facility to ensure that the designated representatives can rapidly initiate and maintain direct contact with the Contractor’s representative managing the evacuation. The Contractor shall possess the ability to communicate directly or through other commercial sources. The communication facilities shall, at a minimum, include the following:

· Commercial telephone lines for direct voice links through satellite communications. One (1) dedicated commercial telephone line and one (1) non-dedicated telephone line for secondary use are the minimum requirements. An operator shall always cover these lines.

· Email capabilities. Note: When this means of communication is utilized, the Contractor shall acknowledge receipt as soon as possible, but not later than eight hours after receipt of the request.

a. Create and Maintain Records and Reference Information. The following information must be maintained:

i. Records of Facilities and Personnel Worldwide. The Contractor shall maintain a database of worldwide medical facilities, their capabilities, and personnel in support of medical evacuation requirements.

ii. Develop and Maintain Records of Evacuations. The Contractor shall create and maintain a record for each patient serviced by this contract. The record will contain all forms, letters, documents, consultations, and communications associated with the patient’s evacuation. The record may be hard copy or electronic format but must be maintained and protected in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Of 1996.

iii. Evacuation Procedure Guide. The Contractor shall provide an evacuation procedure guide to USAID Afghanistan TCN staff within 14 days of notification to the contract coverage. The evacuation procedure guide may be in hard copy or electronic format. The evacuation procedure guide shall be approved by the US Embassy Kabul Health Unit representative. This guide shall include the following:

· Communications methodologies, contact information, and formats.

· Questions to be answered by USAID designated personnel prior to placing a call to the Contractor including, but not limited to, the patient's medical history, general and specific information on the patient's current condition, recent medical treatment of the patient, and including in-flight medical requirements to support the patient in transit.

· Process flow directions from initial request through notification of personnel and resolution of the evacuation.