Intern from Germany learns about AIMS quality care

Sophia Gerstl, is a business student who lives in Munich, Germany and works for ADAC, a German travel health insurance company that is one of AIMS service providers. Sophia was offered a short internship at AIMS to experience the medical assistance side to her job here in South Africa. 

“Thanks to all the colleagues for making me feel comfortable all the time, I am going back to Germany with a whole new perspective on what South Africa’s Health Care is all about. It was an absolute pleasure.” 

AIMS accepted Sophia and the team were delighted to meet her. In Sophia’s four weeks at the AIMS office in Johannesburg, she learnt all about the challenges and struggles that AIMS faces on a daily basis. Sophia worked hand in hand with our operations team, where the magic happens. In the time Sophia spent in operations she learnt how we chase medical reports, organize air evacuations in just a few hours, how we contact the hospitals and Doctors for the patients so they are well received and how their treatment plan is organised.

Some of our team members bonded with Sophia and wanted to show her some of the South Afircan culture. They took Sophia around Johannesburg and Soweto, exploring all the history the City of Gold has to offer. They finished it off the best way a South African knows how; with a braai! 

Our intern shares her appreciation for her time spent with the AIMS team 

Sophia says; 

“As a curious business student working for a German travel health insurer, my boss came up with the idea “Sophia, what about experiencing our provider for medical aid in Africa?“. What a question, of course, the answer was “yes“.

Gladfully AIMS was fine with that idea too, and so I arrived at OR Tambo International Airport on 30/09/2019 not really knowing where the next four weeks will take me.

But all my doubts got wiped away the minute I arrived at the AIMS office. I felt like everybody was excited for me and of course super friendly.

In the following weeks, I got to know all the challenges and struggles AIMS is facing every day. Chasing medical reports, calming patients, organizing air evacuations in a few hours, getting hospitals ready so patients don‘t have to go and worry about a single thing when they see their treating doctor! It‘s great to see how serious all the employees of AIMS take their work, always keeping in mind that their business is all about people‘s health.

Thanks for having me, thanks to esp. Bernadette for offering me this great experience, thanks to all the colleagues for making me feel comfortable all the time and even taking me on the weekends to braais and Joburg‘s places. I’m going back to Germany with a whole new perspective on what Africa’s health providing is all about! It was a pleasure!”