Air Medical Services plays an important role in today's medical rescue systems, especially in urgent need of medical assistance.This type of service uses aircraft, whether it is a fixed-wing aircraft or a helicopter, providing a variety of first aid medical care.With the advancement of technology and the growth of social demand, we have to face a key question: How high is the cost of air rescue?
The history of air ambulance services can be traced back to World War I, when air transport technology was used for medical evacuation.In 1928, in Australia, John Flynn founded the Flying Doctor Service, a service designed to provide medical services to residents in remote areas, including daily consultations and first aid evacuations.During World War II, military aircraft also began to be used regularly as medical first aid.
The main advantage of air rescue is its rapid response ability, especially in sparsely populated rural areas.According to the "Golden Hour" theory, seriously injured patients should be sent to a professional trauma center as soon as possible.Air aid can provide high-level medical care on site and quickly transfer patients to hospitals.However, the cost of such services is equally astonishing and, if used improperly, may result in inefficient situations.
In a 1996 study, air ambulance services in England and Wales failed to show improvements in patients’ arrival time.
Whether air medical transportation should be conducted is an important decision for rescuers.Once it is determined that air aid is required, several factors must be considered, including weather conditions and flight safety.If any member of the medical team is upset about the flight, the flight will be cancelled.This highlights the importance of security.
Air rescue is not just a means of transportation, but also a mobile medical unit.These special helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft are equipped with surveillance and medical equipment, which can provide necessary medical care during flight.In some cases, these ambulance aircraft may simultaneously play the role of searching for missing persons, which gives them multiple functions and tasks.
Although the benefits of air ambulance services are well known, the hidden costs behind them are often overlooked.Not only does it have high operating and maintenance costs, it may also cause the patient to delay the time due to incorrect deployment.In some cases, when the pain patient is not far from the hospital, the use of air rescue will slow down the rescue.This makes us wonder whether every patient really needs such a high-cost ambulance service?
Local folk research points out that the cost of air rescue can reach hundreds of thousands of yuan in some cases.
Some studies have shown that although air rescue is highly accessible, in many cases, patient survival rates have not improved due to the use of air rescue.Especially in Cornwall and London studies, air rescue has not significantly improved the survival rate of trauma patients, again bringing the medical community to question the dependence of these high-value aid services.
As society's demand for medical care increases, the frequency of air rescue services has also increased.However, we still need to think deeply about the true value of these services and their hidden costs.It’s not just a matter of money, but how to find a balance between efficiency and cost in the golden moment of first aid?