MINISTER FOR Health Dr James Reilly is expected to confirm this week that the Air Corps will operate Ireland’s first dedicated Helicopter Emergency Medical Service.
Several groups have submitted proposals to operate the emergency air ambulance service, however it is known that Dr Reilly has also been considering the Air Corps and Irish Coast Guard as potential operators.
The Air Corps already carries out “air ambulance” functions where patients are transported between hospitals in Ireland and facilities overseas, while the Coast Guard is responsible for medical evacuations (medivacs) from island communities.
The new service, however, will respond to serious incidents within the State, including road traffic collisions and situations where a patient needs to reach a hospital faster than a road transfer will allow.
This will be the first time that such a dedicated service will be available in Ireland, which remains the only country in the European Union without a dedicated air ambulance service.
It is expected that such a service will play a vital role in responding to serious incidents on the country’s motorway network, which has grown from 300km to 1,187km in just five years.