Few people among the increasing numbers who sit in motionless traffic on their daily commuting journeys to Dublin from places as far away as Portlaoise or Mullingar would argue against the provision of air ambulances to transport seriously ill or injured patients to specialist hospital centres in Dublin. Few motorists who have experienced the turbulent, sometimes bone-shaking, experience of travelling the lesser roads in this island will argue against the medical wisdom which says that, in certain critical cases, it is safer to transport patients to hospital by air than by even the best equipped ambulances. And now, with more money available to the State, the time seems right to invest in a coherent air ambulance service to cover both the Republic and Northern Ireland.
In this context, it is encouraging to note that a meeting has been arranged for July 12th, in Dublin, between the proponents of a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) and the Minister for Health, Mr Martin. The State's representatives should approach the meeting with an attitude of "Why not?". There can be little doubt but that a significant number of lives could be saved and a significant number of permanent and severe disabilities prevented by the provision of an appropriately equipped and highly trained HEMS.
That is not to say that there are no serious questions to be asked about the costs and organisation of the service. The costs of setting up the service and the costs of maintaining it on an annual basis, will be substantial, even in the context of an annual health services bill now in excess of £3 billion a year. The manpower needs will require serious thought, not least the specialist skills required of the doctors and paramedics who would travel with the helicopter to treat and transport the patients in need of expert emergency care. The line of command would also need to be very carefully established. In this respect, it may be advisable to run a pilot project before an island-wide HEMS is fully established.
But there are many such services in Europe - and more in the United States - from whom advice and experience would be sought before HEMS is set up in Ireland (still one of the few developed countries where a HEMS does not already exist). Of the big contribution which the Air Corps made to human health and welfare last year by way of search-and-rescue missions, relief missions to islands or flooded communities, and the transport of sick or injured people, 165 missions involved conveying the sick and injured. Ironically, almost twice that number - 310 missions - were undertaken for the transport of Government Ministers.
These data alone would suggest that a dedicated HEMS, which would not only transport seriously ill or injured people but would bring expert medical help directly to them at the same time, is attainable. The meeting on July 12th will, it is to be hoped, mark the first step towards that attainment.