The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, has been an air ambulance pilot, having served for two years between 2015 and 2017. He was a part of the East Anglian Air Ambulance, which is a charity-based organization. He had drawn from his experience being a part of the Royal Airforce. Since then, Prince William has been a vocal supporter of the industry in the United Kingdom and has often spoken about his experience being a part of medical flight rescues. He has been especially vocal about the mental effect it has on the first responders and the help they truly deserve.
The Former Air Ambulance Pilot Spoke through Video Conferencing
William shared his experience of being a part of rescues involving children and pointed out that the situation is often traumatic. It is hard to take the sight off the mind for days or even weeks after an incident has occurred, he recalled. He shared how the feeling accompanied him when he got off work and went home at the end of the day. He said, ‘there is so much death’ and that it compels one to feel that the world is a ‘darker place’. The possibility that your loved ones too can end up in a dire situation haunts first responders often.
Mental Wellbeing of First Responders Matters
The Prince was sharing his thoughts and experiences pertaining to being witness to trauma and the mental impact it has on first responders. He pointed out the fact that there needs to be a mechanism that addresses the mental wellbeing of these frontline workers. He was joined by his wife at the video conference. The royal couple’s foundation has partnered with several national institutions that intend to do a lot for the mental health of the first responders. The Prince has spoken up about the issue earlier too.
