“After all isn’t an Aeromedical Helicopter just a flying Ambulance?
Not no more. That’s the whole concept of the updated version of the “Golden Hour”. The aim is to take the hospital to the patient.
Very true.
I worked in Ontario Canada for the better part of 3 years in the Air Ambulance system there. I would not hesitate to say that the PARAMEDICS working there are the finest in the world. They operate to a continuing high standard of critical care medicine and are considered to be the "experience" and education level of a 2nd year resident.
Quite honestly, I would prefer a Critical Care Paramedic over a resident anyday.....no offence intended Robborider. I am sure any number of experienced air ambulance pilots would testify to the same.
They intubate, chest tube, inject and run a bag of drugs that is as good as any ER in North America. I have seen some astounding feats of medicine committed in the back of an S76.
What is needed in the Aussie scene is just a little more perspective of what the rest (some) of the world is doing. Sure you can send a doc but an Advanced or Critical Care medic will do almost as well. Throw in a sat phone and you have a direct link to an ER and instructions for care. The paramedics are tools that can be used by an experienced physician and one doc can run a lot of aircraft at one time.
From a pilots point of view: The most frustrating part is the egos from the Docs to the Nurses to the Paramedics to the dispatch to the...
It just goes on.
As pilots we tend to learn and improve off each other. In medical circles everyone believes their method and everyone else is doing it wrong. Nurses are threatened by Paramedics taking the Pediatric calls (thus reducing their teams viability) and the Doc's think the Paramedics know nothing etc...etc...
Personally, I am glad to have seen it all. I loved doing it but threads like this one just remind me that the politics of the job completely overwhelm the moral satisfaction of thinking you actually made a difference today.
Its all about the money....
www.basehospital.com
Check out the promo video and the patient simulator shown on the intro page. Good !!!!....