This article discusses the importance of a medical helicopter as an aircraft for medical transport and ambulance services for those regions that cannot be reached by conventional ambulances. This type of service is necessary, especially because a medical emergency can occur at any time. Emergencies are completely unpredictable, and therefore a fast mode of transport, such as a helicopter, is vital. Meanwhile, those who have a commercial pilot license after completing the flight training of a helicopter may consider this particular area as a career opportunity. However, this appears to be a risky type of work, and this has been demonstrated by the relatively large number of accidents associated with a medical helicopter.
Some of the accidents in which the medical helicopter was involved occurred in Wisconsin. However, this can be explained by a significantly large number of aviation and medical transportation services in this particular state. Some of them are Med Flight of the University of Wisconsin, Theda-Star Air Medical, Med-Link, Spirit Marshfield at St. Joseph's Hospital, Eagle III, Life Link III, Luke, One, Mayo One, and the country's rescue service. The relatively large number of accidents associated with this particular type of helicopter are also blamed for the need for speed due to the emergency and the stress that a pilot usually experiences. In this particular situation, high-quality training of pilots in helicopters will play a vital role.
In addition to using helicopters to transport patients in need of emergency medical care, these airplanes are also used to transport patients who require regular medical treatment, such as blood transfusions, chemotherapy and dialysis. They are known as medical transport services in which a patient is transported by helicopter to a specified hospital or delivered from a hospital. This is due to the fact that the patient will not be able to physically resist long journeys. There is a fee that is usually charged for this type of service, but some non-profit organizations provide it for free to those who need it. This particular type of service is so important that the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems was even created by the federal government. This agency is responsible for ensuring the safety of the medical transport system and the quality of care provided to patients during their transportation.
Examples of medical transportation services that use a medical helicopter are “Flight of Hope”, “Flight for Life”, “Flight of an Angel” and “Medukare”. Angel's corporate network provides transportation for cancer patients who need chemotherapy, radiation therapy and bone marrow donors. The Flight of Hope services are provided by a non-profit organization that has decided to focus on the transportation needs of children with vital medical needs. Flight for Life is another program that is operated by a non-profit organization and offers its services to anyone. Angel of Flight medical services are provided free of charge if the distance does not exceed 1500 miles. Finally, Meducare services are designed to transport patients who live in remote rural areas.
