It’s hard to believe that Ireland does not have its own charity air ambulance services, while the neighboring countries do. The country has, for quite some time now, contemplated several aspects of air ambulance services, and finally, when the world thought that the country would have its own, there now seems to be some inordinate delay for no concrete reasons. All the necessary affiliations, material acquisition and training have been completed but the life-saving service has still not taken off.
The Preparation for Air Ambulance Services
The crew, including the paramedics and nurses, has received thorough training, the helicopter has been acquired and customized, and the hangar too is ready. The necessary understanding between the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) and the air ambulance services has been arrived at. Just like the 911 calls in the US, Ireland relies on 112 and 999 calls, which are handled by the NEOC. The integration makes the dispatch of air ambulances a seamless process.
The astonishing thing is that all these factors have been taken care of since the beginning of this year. It’s been almost 5 months since the helicopter has been sitting idle in the hangar while the citizens have been deprived of its services. The big question is why? Some say that it is nothing but politics and all that’s needed is the nod by the Health Minister Simon Harris.
The Neighboring Regions are Much Ahead
Romania that only has a coast line that extends 245 kilometers already has air ambulance services that are powered by 8 helicopters. Wales, which is almost a third of Ireland, too has air ambulance services. It’s almost a shame that a much larger country, Ireland, does not have one and that too potentially owing to politics. The country hopes that the national polity realizes the importance of this life-saving service and opens it to the public soon.
