Helicopter emergency service launched

[webfact]

Helicopter emergency service launched

By The Nation

 

Nation/Rachanon Intharaksa

 

The National Institute for Emergency Medicine (NIEMS) on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) to provide a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS).

 

The MOU signing ceremony between NIEMS secretary-general Dr Atchariya Pangma and CAAT director-general Chula Sukmanop was held at Miracle Grand Hotel in Bangkok and was presided over by Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

 

 

The HEMS would become useful for the timely transport of critically-ill or critically injured persons to a hospital and hence helpful in reducing the death rates from critical ailments and road accidents especially in areas not easily accessed by other transport means.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30375491

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-08-28

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[JoePai]

Bet that will be cheap  ????

[RotBenz8888]

58 minutes ago, webfact said:

transport of critically-ill or critically injured persons to a hospital and hence helpful in reducing the death rates from critical ailments and road accidents especially in areas not easily accessed by other transport means.

What if it's a falang, do they accept credit cards if the insurance doesn't cover?

 

[BigBadGeordie]

Its a start, as a comparator the UK is roughly half the land mass of Thailand and there are over 40 emergency medical helicopters operating there.

[mikebell]

Yawn. More photos of smug, self-satisfied non-entities hogging the limelight in a futile attempt to convince the wider public and themselves that they actually work for a living.

[Just Weird]

27 minutes ago, mikebell said:

Yawn. More photos of smug, self-satisfied non-entities hogging the limelight in a futile attempt to convince the wider public and themselves that they actually work for a living.

Yawn...

[Greyhat]

I don't care how badly injured I am, I don't want to be billed for a helicopter ride. Especially if it's anything like this one.

 

[Benmart]

1 hour ago, mikebell said:

Yawn. More photos of smug, self-satisfied non-entities hogging the limelight in a futile attempt to convince the wider public and themselves that they actually work for a living.

May I never sit next to you on an airplane. Oh wait. I'm a smug, self-satisfied non-entity sitting in the business class limelight. Sure glad I retired from my past working life.

[Retfed50]

Just one question, because I really don't know the answer. 

 

How many hospitals in Thailand have helipads?

[worgeordie]

It will be for VIP's only,the rest in back of ambulance if lucky,

or back of pickup if not.

regards Worgeordie

[RickG16]

3 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

It will be for VIP's only,the rest in back of ambulance if lucky,

or back of pickup if not.

regards Worgeordie

Even if you had to rough it in a pick up, I am sure you would send them your regards. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

As usual here, no details, no specifics, no timeline for implementation.

 

Just a camera hogging news conference by politicians.

 

Who's going to operate the helicopter(s). How many? Serving what areas?

 

Do we even want to discuss the fact that Thailand's history of local air operations isn't exactly so great, as the government's helicopters and light planes seem to go down on a pretty regular basis....

 

Heck, they can't even manage to get local drivers to make way for ground ambulances, which as a result get stuck in un-moving traffic.

 

[peterpop]

The accident record for helicopters in Thailand is appalling.  I think I would rather take my chances in a mini van.

[tifino]

1 hour ago, Greyhat said:

I don't care how badly injured I am, I don't want to be billed for a helicopter ride. Especially if it's anything like this one.

 

or

  although, it would fit all those in the photo...

[sammieuk1]

A very warm welcome to the 70s????

[kwonitoy]

1 hour ago, Retfed50 said:

Just one question, because I really don't know the answer. 

 

How many hospitals in Thailand have helipads?

Aek Udon Thani has a picture of one landing on the roof.

When I lived out in the sticks I asked about medevac from my farm to Udon.

First they have to phone Bangkok, the helicopter flies from Bangkok to udon airport, stopping for a refuel in Khon Kaen I think, refuels in Udon and then lands at the closest airport to my farm. Will only land at an airport they said, some regulation of course and kind of defeats the purpose of a helicopter. Oh and daytime only, no night flights.

Quicker to drive, and safer.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, Retfed50 said:

How many hospitals in Thailand have helipads?

You beat me to it.... 

[thaigirlwatcher]

11 hours ago, Retfed50 said:

Just one question, because I really don't know the answer. 

 

How many hospitals in Thailand have helipads?

"Falang think too mutt"

[josephbloggs]

4 hours ago, thaigirlwatcher said:

"Falang think too mutt"

There are at least three in Bangkok that I have seen.  

 

But all you smug smart people who "think too mutt" will no doubt be asking for a diesel smoke belching pick-up / ambulance to drive a couple of hours to get you if you have the misfortune to have a serious accident somewhere remote.

The negativity on here is just appalling.

[Nowisee]

This is Thailand, so this is ALL about money & profit, clearly not for the average person.

I'll believe more after seeing and reading about its use over the next couple of years.
Otherwise, big wind no rain or quietly shuttered after 1 year due to no profit.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

4 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

There are at least three in Bangkok that I have seen.  

 

But all you smug smart people who "think too mutt" will no doubt be asking for a diesel smoke belching pick-up / ambulance to drive a couple of hours to get you if you have the misfortune to have a serious accident somewhere remote.

The negativity on here is just appalling.

 

Only when it's deserved....

 

Quote

 

When I lived out in the sticks I asked about medevac from my farm to Udon.

First they have to phone Bangkok, the helicopter flies from Bangkok to udon airport, stopping for a refuel in Khon Kaen I think, refuels in Udon and then lands at the closest airport to my farm. Will only land at an airport they said, some regulation of course and kind of defeats the purpose of a helicopter. Oh and daytime only, no night flights.

 

 

[Longcut]

21 hours ago, worgeordie said:

It will be for VIP's only,the rest in back of ambulance if lucky,

or back of pickup if not.

regards Worgeordie

Will it still be available for the 30 baht crowd?

[ZeVonderBearz]

When you finally wake up after your horrific accident, caused by the drunk underage motorcyclist riding a super bike the wrong way down the road, and you're handed the bill for that chopper to bring you into Bangkok Hospital, you'll wishing that you were dead. All the while the underage motorcyclist has been kind enough to bless you with his presnece and has come to wai and leave you 500thb whilst you were in a coma. And to make things worse, you have not been reported to immigration for the TM30 and you missed your 90 day report. 

[josephbloggs]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Only when it's deserved....

 

 

So a random anecdote - that happened some time in the past before this service existed - about a helicopter not landing in a farm and landing in an airport nearby, and - shock horror - needing to refuel on the journey from Bangkok makes criticism of this new initiative warranted.  Sorry don't get it.  At all.

 

This is about a new emergency service for severe cases and to reach people in hard to access places.  Nothing to do with your mate's farm from history.

[mikebell]

23 hours ago, Benmart said:

May I never sit next to you on an airplane. Oh wait. I'm a smug, self-satisfied non-entity sitting in the business class limelight. Sure glad I retired from my past working life.

Not sure of the purpose of your response except to tell the wider world you are retired & travel business class?  Oh and that you are a non-entity which might explain the need to mention your travel class.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

36 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

 

This is about a new emergency service for severe cases and to reach people in hard to access places.  Nothing to do with your mate's farm from history.

 

Actually, we don't know what it's for at all, based on the OP article.

 

No mention of when it might start, how many helicopter or helicopters, where it or they will be based, what areas they'll serve, what kinds of responses they'll be assigned to, day only or night operations, etc etc.

 

The news in the OP article is functionally useless.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Meanwhile, FWIW, from what I have gathered, Bumrungrad in BKK has some kind of available helicopter emergency operation, but apparently only to handle medical evacuation cases -- not sure whether that's inbound only or also outbound.  But I've never heard of them using it inside Thailand.
 

Quote

 

Aviation medical evacuation team

• Trained by the Defense College in emergency medical evacuation techniques
• Available for medical evacuation 24-hours a day from points throughout Indochina  

 

 

https://www.bumrungrad.com/en/emergency-center-bangkok-thailand

 

I read the above to mean if you're a prince in Cambodia and get involved in a serious road accident in your own country and don't want to be treated locally, Bumrungrad has the wherewithal to dispatch a helicopter to pick you up and deliver you back to Bummers for treatment.

 

But you're an average citizen or resident in Thailand who gets caught out somewhere domestically, not so much.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

22 hours ago, kwonitoy said:

then lands at the closest airport to my farm. Will only land at an airport they said, some regulation of course and kind of defeats the purpose of a helicopter.

 

I'm pretty familiar with Fire Department emergency paramedic aviation services in my home country. And while it's true you can't just set down a helicopter anywhere, it's also true at least in my country that paramedic helicopters can and do land in all kinds of places and not just limited to airports -- highways, fields, anyplace with open space and clearance from hazards like power lines, etc.

 

If Thailand in fact has some kind of law or policy that would force air ambulances to only land at airports, that would be sad and sorry.

[the guest]

23 hours ago, peterpop said:

The accident record for helicopters in Thailand is appalling.  I think I would rather take my chances in a mini van.

Mini van? Don't you mean a coffin on wheels?

[pikao]

On 8/28/2019 at 1:58 PM, RotBenz8888 said:

What if it's a falang, do they accept credit cards if the insurance doesn't cover?

 

My father had to call a helicopter once while staying in the Bahamas. Friend had a stroke when they´ve been out somewhere diving. Heli only came because my father´s credit card had enough coverage. Cost something like 6000 or 8000 $. Expensive everywhere, but saved the friend´s live