Air ambulance, the life saviour for those who are in need of critical care during a medical emergency, is a high-speed air vehicle that often saves lives. When you are thinking of air ambulance services , the picture of a critically ill patient on a stretcher surrounded by medical equipment comes to mind. It seems quite manageable and swift but the reality is quite different. Behind every medical evacuation, there are certain hidden challenges. From chain of logistics to responsibilities to the hospitals and bill payments, most challenges remain hidden to the eyes of the insurers, patients, and hospitals.
Medical evacuations require meticulous planning, arrangements of logistics, skilled execution, and effortless expertise of the medical crew. With my 37 years of experience in medical evacuation, I can tell you the details about it.
Geographical Infrastructure
In South Asia and South-East Asia, geographical location and terrains play a crucial role in terms of medical evacuation. If a person is stuck while climbing the mountain or gets sick at high altitude, it becomes quite difficult to rescue them.
In places like Nepal or Bhutan, or Maldives, patients cannot be moved at the click of a button. Airports shut down at sundown, runaways may fall short, or the location can be too remote to evacuate the patient. In this case, an air ambulance will face tremendous challenges to get the patient to the mainland.
Be it an air ambulance or evacuation by speedboat, the process will require lots of pre-planning and arrangements ready to be executed. The crew needs to be prepared to execute the evacuation with the right equipment.
Access and Guarantees of Hospitals
Hospital guarantee is one of the most underrated challenges that an air ambulance medical evacuation faces. Most hospitals do not want to get the patient admitted without the confirmation of payment. In that case, the assistance company needs to secure the payment on behalf of the patient, so that the treatment can begin.
Asia Rescue and Medical Services is one such organisation that prioritises payment on behalf of the patients. We contact the health or travel insurance of the insurers and arrange the hospitals accordingly.
Without the confirmation of patients, the hospitals do not proceed with the treatment which may stifle the mortality of the patient. In this case, a structured assistance company’s monetary help will be able to save the patient from the brink of death. Our role is not just to move the patient but to take care of the monetary and administrative hurdles.
Saving Lives with Limited Equipments and Supplies
Most air ambulances use state-of-the-art medical equipment to treat the patients on air. However, the challenge of the medical crew does not stop at that. Even after having the advanced equipment, it can be difficult to keep the patient stable. If the weather is bad or the distance is too long, the process becomes quite challenging for the crew.
For example, if a patient is stuck at the high altitudes, the crew sent to the medical evacuation process can face breathing difficulty at the high altitude. In that case, the crew needs to be prepared for every situation and Your paragraph takes action accordingly.
During this time, the crew needs to take care of the medication schedule of the patient diligently. They also must ensure that the injured patient is properly taken care of, even within limited time and space. In terms of wound injury, the patient needs to be given a clean and comfortable environment to avoid any infection that can worsen its situation.
Overcoming Unstable Conditions during Air Ambulance Evacuation
There are times when the medical crew may face unforeseen issues during the repatriation process. The turbulent nature of the flight, fluctuations at high altitudes can cause immense problems among the crew. Therefore, they need to have steady hands to continue with their work on air. Additionally, harsh weather conditions can deteriorate the condition of the patient. Extreme heat or extreme cold may worsen their health which can be another concern for the medical crew to take care during an air ambulance rescue.
The Bottom Line
Emergency medical evacuations by air ambulances require a lot of strategies and planning to execute with precision. From rescuing the patient to evacuating in an air ambulance and then getting them admitted to a hospital for further treatment, everything needs to be done properly. If the patient requires to be repatriated after the primary treatment, it is the responsibility of the assistance company to arrange it for the patient. The aim of assisting the patient includes embracing innovation, fostering collaboration, and prioritising patient care above all to ensure providing the best services and maintaining the wellbeing of the patient. An emergency medical evacuation requires precision and care which can be the key to a successful evacuation process.