Good news from Australia’s HEMS industry.
The Rotorcraft Asia-Pacific e-News, (May edition), reported Australia’s LifeFlight Australia has received record funding from the Queensland Government.
It was announced on the 5 June 2023, the largest funding injection in LifeFlight Australia’s history will see the Queensland Government invest an additional AUD$586 million (US$400m) in the aeromedical service over the next decade.
“Our government is committed to providing free, world class health care no matter where you live in Queensland,” Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.
The record funding arrangement gives certainty to Queenslanders that for the next ten years, the vital search, rescue and aeromedical services provided by LifeFlight will continue to operate, bringing equity of health care to people across the state.
One of many factors driving this expansion is the fact federal government sources have just announced Queensland is undergoing an unexpected population growth after the Covid pandemic. Understandably, many of these new settlers are moving to industrial areas spread across a very large area.
This factor plus the rapidly increasing tourist industry puts an enormous strain on medical services in very remote areas. Emergency services are faced with operations over very long distances. Many callouts to locations at a great distance from hospitals capable of providing advanced medical facilities to handle severe trauma cases. Thus the move to long-range medium multiengine helicopters - many of which require two pilots.
More news about other government funding soon. (Those thinking about a career in the emergency services should get prepared - such as IREX and MCC(H), etc.)