Medical and rescue services seek six aircraft

THE Government faces a demand for up to six additional Air Corps aircraft.

In the west a group of doctors has called for a dedicated medical emergency service, involving four helicopters deployed in Dublin Belfast, Knock and Cork. The Maritime Institute of Ireland is seeking medium range helicopter cover on the east coast, which would fulfil search and rescue and pollution monitoring duties on the Irish Sea.

The Minister for Defence and the Marine, Mr Barrett, is expected to consider a recommendation for extra "Seaking type" cover, to replace or augment the existing Dauphin service at Baldonnel, when the report by his marine rescue services review group is published this month.

Last month, the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, announced that a dedicated helicopter and fixed wing aircraft would be provided by the Air Corps for the new Garda Air Support Unit.

The campaign for a dedicated helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS), initiated earlier this year, has received the support of the Irish Medical Organisation and the Irish College of General Practitioners.

Ireland is the only European country without such a service for road accidents and serious medical emergencies, despite its peripherality, according to the HEMS steering committee. A dedicated service would revolutionise critical care of major trauma patients and enable medical personnel to make use of the "golden hour" after accidents, it says. During this "golden hour", stabilisation of the casualty can mean the difference between life and death, and between degrees of injury in survivors of a major trauma.

The Air Corps currently provides air ambulance cover, and responded to about 200 such call outs last year on behalf of the health boards. While complimenting the Air Corps and road ambulance staff, the HEMS steering committee argues that designation and equipping of special craft is necessary.

The HEMS committee points out that France has 38 craft, Germany 76, Italy 21, Britain 22 and Spain four. Greece has two and is seeking four more under EU structural funding. The committee recommends four locations in Ireland for the service, at Dublin, Cork, Knock and Belfast airports.

A Department of Health spokeswoman told The Irish Times the HEMS submission was still being assessed. While the EU may provide capital costs, running costs are expected to be a decisive factor.

The Department of Justice is to seek tenders shortly for the helicopter and fixed wing aircraft, recommended for use by the Garda Air Support Unit.

The Air Corps has already submitted a proposal to the Department of Defence with a view to operating all marine rescue services, including the medium range at Shannon which is due up for renewal later this year. This contract, which is worth over £20 million in a five year period, was first awarded to Irish Helicopters in 1991. The company has confirmed it is reapplying. The Department of the Marine has said that the successful tender will be announced by August 29th.

The Department of Defence is due to issue tenders shortly for a consultancy study on the Naval Service and the Air Corps. The studies are expected to be more specific than the existing Price Waterhouse/Efficiency Audit Group review.