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HEMS in Saudí Arabia

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HEMS in Saudí Arabia

Old 16th Apr 2012, 23:22
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Quote:

"Are the 28x28 medics going to be locally licenced?

Without an arabic-speaker on board, how are the crews going to deal with the language barriers on scene?"

I was told that the configuration on the helicopter was: Pilot, Co-Pilot, Medic, and Saudi Doctor. Doc is the translator.
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Old 17th Apr 2012, 02:07
  #102 (permalink)  
 
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You'll find out quickly that the "Doctors" do not have the skills of the North American Paramedics and are sometimes just along for the ride.
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Old 17th Apr 2012, 13:24
  #103 (permalink)  
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I was told that the configuration on the helicopter was: Pilot, Co-Pilot, Medic, and Saudi Doctor. Doc is the translator.
In my humble opinion, that is the most practical combination for that theatre.

BUT... it still doesn't answer the question about whether the paramedics will be licensed or not by the Saudi Health Council?
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Old 1st May 2012, 20:40
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Anybody have any updates or heard anything new concerning the Saudi project?
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Old 10th May 2012, 21:31
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Lastest info from PHI

Our Air Medical segment was awarded a hospital contract for three medium aircraft which commenced in May 2012, with the aircraft redeployed out of our oil and gas division. Also, in April 2012, our subsidiary PHI Air Medical, L.L.C. entered into a three-year contract with the Saudi Red Crescent Authority (“SRCA”) to provide helicopter emergency medical services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, subject to our receipt of the escrow payment described below. The contract calls for us to place eight medium aircraft in service during 2012, along with support staff, and to operate and maintain the aircraft for the contract term. In connection with the contract, we have entered into an option agreement with the aircraft manufacturer, which upon exercise by us will obligate us to purchase seven new medium aircraft during 2012, and an aircraft purchase agreement, pursuant to which we would sell these aircraft to the company that will lease them to the SRCA, after we complete and configure the aircraft for use in emergency medical services. The contract envisions a transition of the program over time to qualified Saudi personnel, and pursuant to the contract we will provide training services to SRCA’s qualified pilots, technicians, paramedics and communications specialists. Our obligations under these agreements are contingent upon our receipt into escrow of the purchase price of the seven aircraft, less the deposit already paid by the SRCA, in the near term. Air Medical segment earnings continue to improve due to rate increases and certain cost reductions that continue to be implemented.
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Old 10th May 2012, 23:31
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Mmmmm ...

Very interesting .... all I can say is "Good Luck" with all that ....
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Old 11th May 2012, 01:44
  #107 (permalink)  
 
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Sky spy wrote " blah blah blah qualified Saudi personnel blah blah blah SRCA putting money in escrow blah blah blah.



Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Stop I'm going to pi^* myself.

Cheers
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Old 11th May 2012, 02:37
  #108 (permalink)  
 
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Hey don't shoot the messager, I just pasted the info that PHI released. Can't say how valid it is, I just thought it was interesting info to share with others
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Old 11th May 2012, 02:55
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Suggestion: next time give credit to the source by placing the text in quotes. Otherwise it appears that you wrote it.

Forum etiquette applies.

On the tool bar place the text in quote by clicking on the quote symbol on the tool bar.
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Old 11th May 2012, 04:00
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Thanks for the suggestion, as you can see I am new here. I appreciate your pointing this out to me. I thought by stating in the header it was from PHI would have covered it, but now I know better. Thanks for the help.
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Old 11th May 2012, 11:31
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Sky Spy, Not shooting the messenger. Just laughing at the absurdity of PHI's release. It just looks like SRCA has told PHI everything they want to hear. If it involves money or competency of the SRCA employees then you will realize over time there how funny the statement is. I hope everything goes well with this contract but my experience with SRCA has me skeptical.

Cheers
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Old 9th Jul 2012, 19:56
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update???

So with only months to go to the launch of PHI HEMS in Saudi, there are still no aircrew, medics, engineers or helicopters on the ground in KSA. No bases built, no airman licences applied for and no money in the PHI escrow account. Hmmm!
Sound like the CEO of PHI is a wise man to hold back the assets until the cheque clears in full before pressing the 'Go' button.
Odd to see that the MD900s are still sat at the HLSs in Riyadh from the last HEMS contractor. Hard lessons learnt there then.
Any news stateside ref the PHI-SRCA deal??
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Old 30th Jul 2012, 21:31
  #113 (permalink)  
 
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Mmmmm ....

Swisherd 'ol darling whatever are you smoking?

I have not seen any post bagging PHI's professionalism .... what I have seen is quite a few posts from people (some known to me) that have stood on Saudi sand doing the job and warning of what is likely to come.

You are quite out of order inferring that companies that have previously been involved in Saudi HEMS contracts have inferior experience to PHI.

I can tell you that there were/are crews there capable of and able to do the job to the highest standards expected of the EMS industry.

The issues are not to do with the Helicopter contractor .... PHI will learn all about that in due course ... their HEMS incarnation will be the 4th different operational change to the Saudi HEMS program .... there is of course one common denominator that continues to be the creator of difficulties ... but as you say ...

"with most new operations there are learning curves and mistakes that get made" ....

That is very true .... the problem in Saudi is that the will to listen and learn from the experienced is somewhat absent . There is absolutely no value in hiring an experienced organisation capable and able to do a job for you and then not allowing (or not paying them) them to do it properly.

You might think you (and PHI) have all the answers ... I really hope you/they do for the sake of the Saudi populous and their seasonal visitors .. but from personal experience all I can say is ... "Good luck with that" ...

To understand you really need to be there.

Cheers ....
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Old 31st Jul 2012, 10:24
  #114 (permalink)  
 
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Odd to see that the MD900s are still sat at the HLSs in Riyadh from the last HEMS contractor.
I heard them flying in Jeddah couple of weeks ago, so the contract is still ongoing.....

As for PHI, good luck, just remember that its not the employees fault if you dont get paid on time, so please ensure that you have sufficient funds to pay your staff

sisherd78, I look forward to your comments in 6 months

Mutt
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Old 31st Jul 2012, 15:00
  #115 (permalink)  
 
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Mmmmm ..

swisherd ....

Thanks for your response ... unfortunately you don't add anything to allay the issues.

I have never said that KSA is a 'bad country' that is an assumption you have made of me and the others with first hand knowledge of this contract ... what I and others have said is that there are issues within that particular contract that WILL CAUSE GRIEF IF NOT ADDRESSED and just changing technical operators will not overcome them.

Believe me when I say that all of us that have been involved have only wanted to be able to do a good safe HEMS job for the King and people of Saudi Arabia and it is easy to talk up how good its going to be under the new operator. To say we were only there to 'take the money' does everybody involved a disservice ... if you really think PHI is going there for any reason other than the money then I suggest you have no commercial acumen at all.

And by the way it is common knowledge that it was the SRCA (and the Govt. of Saudi) that was out requesting the operational expertise and assistance to set up the practical side of a HEMS service in the kingdom not those operational companies "just trying to win a contract". Get your facts sorted.

You actually come over as sounding like an SRCA employee trying to cover over their inadequacies. hopefully that is not the case.

Cheers.
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Old 31st Jul 2012, 15:02
  #116 (permalink)  
 
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Swish,

If you know as much as you think you know about hems S.A. then you surely know that its not the $ they put on the contract that undermines the operators, but the ZERO $ that arrives at the end of the months (plural)

If people (who have worked there) consistently put the blame at the feet of the SRCA, then one should smell a rat no?

BTW, there has never been any doubt about the capability of the operators who have so far (in recent history) tried and given up, exasperated.
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Old 31st Jul 2012, 15:28
  #117 (permalink)  
 
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You actually come over as sounding like an SRCA employee trying to cover over their inadequacies.

Funny that. I was thinking the same thing.
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Old 1st Aug 2012, 14:17
  #118 (permalink)  
 
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Swish,

You are obviously a committed individual to that cause

I dont think any further comments are necessary
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Old 2nd Aug 2012, 03:40
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I want whatever he is smoking...it would make life here in Saudi a lot more interesting
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Old 2nd Aug 2012, 17:25
  #120 (permalink)  
 
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Mutt,
Did you really hear the former AA MD Explorers flying in Jeddah a couple weeks ago?
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