Jeju Island to Operate 'Emergency Medical Helicopter' Starting Next Month

The 8th Nationwide Introduction... Securing Golden Time for Severe Patients to Realize a Medical Blind Spot-Free Jeju

[Jeju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Chang-won] From next month, an emergency medical helicopter (Doctor Helicopter) will begin full-scale operation in the Jeju area.

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province announced on the 29th that it held a launch ceremony for the emergency medical helicopter at the Citizen Welfare Town Plaza in Donam-dong, Jeju City, and will start official flights from the 1st of next month.

The emergency medical helicopter, called the "flying emergency room," was prepared to transport three major severe emergency patients?severe trauma, myocardial infarction, and stroke (cerebrovascular accident)?from affiliated islands such as Chuja-do and Udo, as well as emergency medical vulnerable areas within the province. It is the eighth to be introduced nationwide.

The golden time for severe trauma, where time is life, is within 1 hour; for heart disease, within 2 hours; and for cerebrovascular disease, within 3 hours. Since patients must be transported quickly within the golden time to save lives, it will operate year-round, from sunrise to sunset, 365 days a year.

The emergency medical helicopter is equipped with medical devices such as ultrasound, ventilators, oxygen supply devices, and defibrillators to provide professional emergency treatment from the scene during transport. Specialized personnel, including emergency medicine specialists and emergency medical technicians, will board together to assist with transport.

Jeju Province has organized 22 medical personnel and 10 flight personnel for the operation of the emergency medical helicopter, designated the National Medical Center as the entrusted institution, and Jeju Halla Hospital as the designated hospital.

The helicopter pad in Sumang-ri, Namwon-eup, Seogwipo City, will be used as the emergency medical helicopter parking area, and 36 locations including hospitals, islands/mountainous areas, gymnasiums, and school playgrounds have been designated as transfer points where patients board the helicopter after expert on-site inspections.

Night parking will use the Sumang-ri helicopter pad, but when weather conditions are good, standby will be at the rooftop helipad of Jeju Halla Hospital.

Accordingly, when a dispatch request is received from the 119 situation room, the pilot, flight manager, and doctor will consult to decide on dispatch, provide emergency medical treatment on-site, and transport the patient to the designated hospital, Jeju Halla Hospital, for treatment.

Four people (2 pilots, 2 medical staff) board the emergency medical helicopter per dispatch. In cases of night or inter-city transport, fire department helicopters will be used.

The helicopter model is the EC-155B1, developed by Airbus Helicopters in Europe in the early 1990s.

Meanwhile, about 150 people from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, National Medical Center, Jeju Halla Hospital, Gloria Aviation Co., Ltd., and related organizations attended the launch ceremony, and a patient transport demonstration was also conducted.

Jeju Governor Oh Young-hoon said, "Considering the special situation of Jeju, composed of Hallasan Mountain, oreums, and islands, as well as the 700,000 Jeju residents, tourists, and those staying for a month or on workations, conditions for securing the golden time in the era of a population of 1 million have been established."

He added, "I ask all related organizations to cooperate together with a strong will to cherish and protect the life of each resident and to ensure safe operation."

Jeju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Chang-won baekok@asiae.co.kr

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.