Published on Monday, 8 November 2010 at 12:00:00 AM
The first year of operation for the only RFDS aeromedical jet service – the only
service of its kind to be available free of charge to most people – was highly
successful, transporting more than 200 people from the furthest reaches of the State.
RFDS Western Operations chief executive Tim Shackleton said the jet had greatly
improved the ability to respond to urgent need in rural and remote Australia.
“The Rio Tinto Life Flight jet was the realisation of a long held dream for the RFDS
and its first year has proven just how important it is to rural and remote WA,” he said.
“We have experienced unprecedented demand for our services in the last year and
the jet has helped us respond to urgent cases throughout the State and Australia’s
Indian Ocean territories.”
The jet has been particularly beneficial for residents of the north of the State, with
112 of its 208 patients coming from the Kimberley region and 52 patients coming
from the Pilbara.
Mr Shackleton said the jet’s ability to carry up to four patients had allowed the regular
RFDS fleet to remain closer to bases throughout the State and had also resulted in
the achievement of a significant milestone.
“The capacity of the jet allowed the RFDS to conduct the first double critical care
transfer, where two critically ill patients were transported at the same time, each with
their own critical care doctor and nurse team,” he said.
“This is simply not possible using our regular fleet and would have required two
aircraft and many more flight hours without the support of the jet.
“The Rio Tinto Life Flight jet has made a tremendous difference to our ability to
respond to the needs of rural and regional WA and is a huge step forward for
aeromedical services in Australia.”
“As we celebrate its first birthday, I would like to thank Rio Tinto for their vision and
generosity in making the dream of an aeromedical jet service a reality.”
The jet was made possible by a $5 million partnership with Rio Tinto.
Rio Tinto chief executive of Iron Ore and Australia Sam Walsh AO said Rio Tinto was
proud to be associated with such a significant improvement in remote medical care.
“As a business we operate in remote locations so we understand the significant
challenges faced by people living and working in regional WA when it comes to
medical care,” he said.
“When the partnership was developed we wanted our contribution to really make a
difference to regional communities and seeing the jet one year on making such an
impact is very rewarding for everyone at Rio Tinto.”
The jet’s medical fit out and operations are also supported by funding from the Flying
1000 fundraising group, RFDS Victorian Section and Maroomba Airlines.
The State Government’s Royalties for Regions program has also underwritten its
operating costs up to a value of $1 million per year for three years.
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