After 2012, when the Department of Health and the HSE’s National Ambulance Service (NAS) launched the first Emergency Aeromedical Service (EAS) in Ireland, the service transported critical patients to the most appropriate hospital.

This Emergency Aeromedical Service is a joint project between the Department of Health, the HSE and the Defence Forces. It means that National Ambulance Service advanced paramedics now have the assistance of a dedicated military helicopter for the rapid critical care transports.

Emergency Aeromedical Service in Ireland: a vital asset in the region

When it started, the emergency aeromedical service was a 12-month trial period, and the aim was to assess the level and type of dedicated helicopter emergency medical service required in Ireland in light of recent closures of regional facilities such as Roscommon Hospital.

As Airmed&Rescue reported: “Since its inception in 2012, it has become a vital asset in terms of critical pre-hospital care and has recently airlifted its 3000th patient. The EAS helicopter crew consists of both Defence Forces personnel and a NAS advanced paramedic, who remain on immediate call to the National Aeromedical Co-ordination Centre seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Known by its callsign ‘Aircorps112’, reflecting its military and medical nature, the number 112 highlights the standard European emergency contact number.”

The ‘AirCorps112’ is a Leonardo AW139 twin‐engine, multi‐role helicopter, flown with a crew of two pilots and a crewman. When configured for EAS, it can accommodate an array of medical equipment, including oxygen, suction and defibrillator, several attending medics and a patient.

SOURCE

AIRMED&RESCUE