One of the key scenarios where air ambulances will be used is transporting people who require medical help back from a foreign country to their home country. Most air ambulance service providers require the medical teams on their flights to have at least 3 to 5 years of ICU or CCU experience. In this way, they can ensure that their patients receive the best level of pre-hospital care possible while in the air ambulance.

When appropriate for their flights, some air ambulance providers will also involve medical insurance professionals. These professionals will help the patient with whatever paperwork or support they need during their transportation. Air ambulances ultimately offer the quickest way to transport critically ill patients over long distances than traditional, road-going ambulances. 

What Is A Medical Repatriation?

Trauma victims

Patients who have suffered major trauma or head injuries in remote areas can use air ambulances to provide them with speedy medical support and trauma care. 

They can then be transported to the nearest hospital for further treatment or return home and receive care there.

Transplant patients

Those patients requiring transplants will often require medical support while they travel. 

Suppose they have to travel a considerable distance to have their transplant surgery. In that case, air ambulances provide the perfect method of quick transport for inter-facility transfers and advanced medical support ideal for these situations. 

Organ donations

Air ambulances are also uniquely suited to transporting organs for transplant patients. 

When medical emergencies strike and immediate surgery is necessary, air ambulances can fly the required organ from anywhere in the world as a top priority to the designated hospital so the surgery can go ahead quickly.

Winter activity injuries

A lot of the cases involving those stranded in remote areas are those involving winter activities, such as snowmobiling or skiing. 

The nature of these activities requires people to travel to remote areas on high mountains, meaning traditional medical care can take a long time to reach them if they become injured. 

The extreme nature of the activities can also result in more serious injuries, meaning fast transportation to local hospitals is most urgent. Air ambulances can provide necessary medical support for those injured during winter activities.

Traffic accidents

In many cases, air ambulances can reach patients involved in road traffic collisions far quicker than traditional ground ambulances or rapid response vehicles. 

Given that most traffic accidents cause jams along the roads they occur on, it makes sense that an air ambulance would be able to fly directly to the scene of the accident to provide immediate medical support. 

Helicopters are the most common type of air ambulance used in these scenarios, transporting the patient directly from the accident site to the nearest hospital.

The elderly

Many elderly patients are unable to travel long distances without significant medical support. 

Air ambulances provide the perfect combination of speedy travel with professional quality care and support to ensure they can be comfortably and safely transported.

Cancer patients

Those who have cancer can also take advantage of the transportation capabilities of air ambulances to journey to the best cancer treatment centres throughout the world in a safe and supported manner.

Bedside to bedside patients

There are some patients that require constant medical support around the clock, providing yet another benefit to using air ambulances. 

Suppose patients such as these need to be transported to another hospital or their home to receive specific patient care. 

In that case, air ambulances allow medical professionals to attend to the patient throughout the entirety of their journey.

Travelers

An infrequent use of air ambulances involves tourists or travellers who have become injured or unwell in a foreign country and wish to return to their home country to receive care. 

Air ambulances provide a way for these patients to return to their homes to be supported by their family, friends and loved ones.

Rural patients

In some rural parts of the world, people cannot access the advanced medical care that they may depend on to support them in their condition. 

This is another way in which an air ambulance service can help people living in areas such as these receive the proper care and medical support they need despite their rural location.

Disaster victims

When natural disasters strike, they can cause traditional land ambulances to become almost useless, depending on the levels of the devastation caused. Therefore, air ambulances provide a lifeline to those trapped after these disasters, such as hurricanes or earthquakes, occur. 

Air ambulances can also provide emergency medical services to those injured during disasters, assisting with the recovery effort and transporting patients to appropriate hospitals.

General travel needs

If a patient wishes to travel for a certain reason but is unable to do so on their own and requires medical support during their journey, this is another way in which air ambulances can help. 

Air ambulances provide a safe method of travel for patients who need to journey long distances for certain events, whether they are attending a family or friend's wedding or undertaking last wish travel.

Medical tourism

If someone requires emergency medical treatment but cannot afford it in the country where they live, air ambulances can transport them to a country where healthcare is more affordable. 

The added professional attention received by the onboard medical crew in the air transport also ensures a safe journey to the country of destination for the patient.

People stranded

Those who become injured in remote areas, such as hikers or mountain climbers, can also benefit from air ambulance flights. Given the nature of the environment, they are stranded in, it can be difficult to get traditional medical treatment to them via the ground. 

Therefore, air ambulances provide a way to reach patients in traditionally inaccessible places, providing potentially life-saving care.

People needing Advanced Life Support

Air ambulances are also well suited to those patients who need advanced life support, such as assistance with their breathing. 

Air ambulances carry all of the necessary equipment to support a patient through their journey, along with the medical professionals necessary to oversee their safe transportation to their destination.

Spinal injury victims

Patients suffering spinal injuries or who have limited mobility are also well catered for by air ambulance services. 

They allow patients to be transported quickly to the appropriate medical facilities for urgent care. Rehab patients can also use these services if their preferred treatment centre is not local.

Family needs

Some patients may decide that they want to be closer to family and friends during their treatment but cannot travel independently. 

Air ambulances provide a safe way for these patients to travel to be with the people they love.

Burn victims 

Patients who suffer significant or life-threatening burns are best transported using air ambulances. 

If the nature of the patient's condition is time-sensitive, the speed of air ambulance transport can prove vital in their treatment.

People needing medication

Air ambulance services can also provide medical care staff to accompany patients on regular commercial flights. 

For example, if a patient requires specific medication to be administered by a professional, they can fly with a qualified doctor or nurse to assist them while they travel.

Burn victims

Patients who suffer significant or life-threatening burns are best transported using air ambulances. 

If the nature of the patient's condition is time-sensitive, the speed of air ambulance transport can prove vital in their treatment.