MEDEVAC EVACUATION SERVICE

If you have an accident and you live far away from the nearest trauma level 1 hospital, or you find yourself in distress on a family trip, you are not alone Lahak medical air evacuation is just a phone call away. Lahak medical air transportation helicopters are equipped with the most up to date medical equipment and medical personnel to assist your needs in transporting you to the best medical facility equipped to meet your medical needs.

How many times have you seen an ambulance driving with sirens blaring and lights flashing, trying to cross busy intersections in rush hour traffic? Time delays such as this make arrival at the trauma level 1 hospital longer than necessary, possibly affecting your survival and recovery chances. The helicopter, which can land any place and fly fast and unrestricted in traffic, is the fastest and most efficient way to transfer you or your loved one to the medical location deemed necessary for your needs.
The Evacuation Service: The medical service that is given in the first hour of the medical emergency has a direct effect on the chance of recovery and rehabilitation of the patient. This period of time is known as the “golden hour”. During this “golden hour”, the medically equipped helicopter plays a critical role in saving the life of the patient. Lahak helicopters are equipped with state of the art medical equipment and staffed by paramedics trained by Magen David Adom – MADA (the Israel Red Cross). The paramedics provide a high level of professional medical care in the field and in the air during the transportation period to the trauma level 1 hospital.

For those suffering from critical or serious medical events such as heart attacks, car accidents, home accidents, or labor complications, every minute that passes has tremendous consequences. In some cases, on-sight treatment or treatment at the nearest medical facility will be all the patient requires. However, in the case where specialized treatment and trauma level 1 hospitalization is critical, the medical air evacuation service is the fastest way to assure arrival at the nearest trauma level 1 hospital for the treatment necessary to help with the patient’s recovery. The medical air evacuation service saves time and helps to save lives.

There are three categories where medical air evacuation is needed:
1. In a trauma event a healthy individual is hurt suddenly as a result of a car accident, work accident, home accident, or while on vacation. In a trauma event, the probability of surviving the event and recovering is heavily dependent upon the time from the event to the time of arrival at the trauma level 1 hospital

2. When an individual who is ill suddenly begins deteriorating quickly, it is urgent that the patient is transported immediately to a hospital for emergency care. Also, individuals such as those suffering from child illnesses, pregnancy or delivery difficulties, or stroke will benefit from the medical air evacuation transportation system.

 

3. In cases when a hospitalized patient needs a specific treatment which is only available at another hospital, the medical air evacuation service can minimize the time the patient is out of the hospital and decrease the risk to the patient.

 

The “Golden Hour” – The “golden hour” is a term used by professional health care providers to describe the period of time from the initial onset of the injury until the patient receives treatment at the trauma level 1 hospital. Studies indicate that the survival rate is higher if the treatment is given during the first hour from the onset of the event. Studies show that on-site treatment or treatment at a secondary hospital is not enough. A higher level of benefit to the patient is achieved by transport to a trauma level 1 hospital.

 

In Israel there are six trauma centers:

North Israel/Haifa – Rambam Medical Center

Central Israel: Tel Hashomer Medical Center, Beilinson Medical Center, Ichilov Hospital

South Israel: Soroka Medical Center

Jerusalem – Hadassah Hospital

The Lahak helicopter departs immediately upon notice of need for the medical air evacuation, providing the ability to arrive at the trauma level 1 hospital during the period of the “golden hour” from most areas in Israel.

 

Evacuation from car accidents:
Upon receiving notice of an accident that requires medical air evacuation, Magen David Adom – MADA (the Israel Red Cross) control center immediately notifies Lahak Aviation of the location of the accident. The Lahak Aviation dispatch center will immediately dispatch the helicopter which will arrive at the accident scene within minutes.
After stabilizing the patient and making the necessary preparations for air evacuation, the patient will be loaded by the paramedics onto the helicopter for immediate transport directly to the appropriate hospital.