This is why paramedics airlift some patients

READ: UPDATE: Great North accident victim still in hospital

Netcare 911’s road operations network includes the following:

“A small proportion of the accidents and incidents that emergency medical practitioners are called out to attend to are life-threatening emergencies,” said Stanton.

“It is paramount to the patient’s survival that they are transported to an appropriate hospital in the shortest possible time.

“In these cases the decision may be taken to dispatch an air ambulance – either a helicopter or fixed wing jet aeroplane.”

According to Stanton, one of the greatest advantages of deploying a helicopter is that it can often land closer to the patient than conventional road ambulances are able to.

“For accidents in mountainous terrain, for example, responding paramedics sometimes have to use quad bikes to reach the patient and would have to carry the patient down the mountain on a stretcher to an area accessible to a road ambulance,” he said.

“On the other hand, paramedics can in many cases be lowered down from a helicopter to the patient and the patient can be lifted to the helicopter on a stretcher.

“The air ambulances are also extremely beneficial in emergencies involving spinal injuries, because they provide a smoother trip than a vehicle is able to provide.”

Stanton provided tips when calling for assistance in a medical emergency:

• Give your name and the telephone number you are calling from

• Supply a brief description of what has happened and try to explain how serious the situation is

• Provide the address or location of the incident as well as the nearest cross streets or other landmarks to help paramedics reach the scene as quickly as possible

• Do not end the call until the controller has first disconnected.

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