Firefighting Helicopter with Doctor on Board in Northern Gyeonggi Dispatched 23 Times Last Year, Saved 18 Lives
by Lee jonggu
Published 12 Jan.2025 07:50(KST)
From Helicopter Dispatch to Patient Handover:
Average Time Reduced to 45 Minutes, 4 Minutes Faster Than Previous Year
Securing the Golden Hour for Critically Ill Emergency Patients... 75% Survival Rate Recorded
It has been revealed that the doctor-staffed fire helicopter operating in the northern Gyeonggi region was dispatched 23 times last year, saving 18 critically ill emergency patients.
The Gyeonggi Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters announced the 2024 operational results of the doctor-staffed fire helicopter (119Heli-EMS) on the 12th.
The doctor-staffed fire helicopter (119Heli-EMS) is a system where a doctor boards the fire helicopter to provide specialized medical services during patient transport. It was first introduced and has been operated nationwide starting in 2023 in the northern Gyeonggi region.
Last year, the doctor-staffed fire helicopter was dispatched a total of 23 times, transporting 24 critically ill emergency patients, of whom 18 survived. The average time from the helicopter dispatch request to handing over the patient to a medical institution was 45 minutes, which is 4 minutes shorter compared to the previous year. This significantly contributed to securing the golden time for critically ill emergency patients and improving the survival rate (75%).
The doctor-staffed fire helicopter plays an especially important role in saving emergency patients' lives in areas requiring long-distance transport. The Gyeonggi Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters plans to further increase the survival rate of critically ill emergency patients by strengthening cooperation with emergency medical institutions and continuously improving the 119 ambulance transport system.
Hong Jang-pyo, head of the Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters, stated, “The doctor-staffed fire helicopter has established itself as an important system that breathes new life into critically ill emergency patients in the northern Gyeonggi area,” and added, “We will continue to strengthen emergency medical services through active support and cooperation.”
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