Air ambulance notches up its 3000th mission

Many missions: Pilot Andrew Reid has been working closely with Hauora Tairawhiti for eight years with the air ambulance service recently completing its 3000th flight. File picture

THE Air Gisborne/Hauora Tairawhiti air ambulance service has completed its 3000th mission, flying its 5285th and 5286th patients.

Hauora Tairawhiti chief executive Jim Green told the DHB the 3000th flight was completed by flight nurse Jessie McDonald and Air Gisborne pilot/owner Andrew Reid.

August had been a busy month with 105 patient transfers and a total of 62 missions.

The percentage of patients transferred by “our team’ was just above average at 77.14 percent of all patients and 64.5 percent of all missions.

Westpac Air Ambulance completed nine nurse-only flight missions for Hauora Tairawhiti.

“Five occurred when our team was busy and could not meet the demand for flights on those days,” said Mr Green.

“Two occurred on weekend days when we have just one flight per day working, and two occurred after hours.

Mr Green said there were four direct STEMI (heart attack) pathway transfers from the Emergency Department in August, one helicopter transfer, two Waikato ICU retrievals and one transfer by Westpac with a flight nurse and intensive care paramedic team.

Air Gisborne has been providing air ambulance flights for the Gisborne community for more than 35 years.

In 2012 the company formalised a partnership with the health board for a seamless delivery of aeromedical services.