Vietnam’s military aviation medical institute has proposed a dedicated air ambulance fleet to reach patients on islands, at sea and in remote areas where conventional transport can take too long.
For people at sea, on islands and in remote parts of Vietnam, transporting critically ill or injured patients by road or water can mean losing precious time during the “golden hours” for emergency treatment. The country’s Air Defense-Air Force Institute of Aviation Medicine has therefore proposed developing a dedicated air ambulance fleet.
At a conference on aeromedical emergency services on Sept. 12, the institute proposed gradually establishing an integrated air emergency medical system to provide care for military personnel, civilians and fishermen on islands, in coastal waters and areas divided by difficult terrain, while strengthening Vietnam’s capacity to respond to natural disasters and other emergencies.
According to Colonel and physician Nguyen Hai Dang of the Air Defense-Air Force Institute of Aviation Medicine, Vietnam has a coastline stretching more than 3,260 kilometers, over 3,000 islands of various sizes, and mountainous terrain covering three-quarters of the country.
Colonel and physician Nguyen Hai Dang speaks at the conference.
In serious surgical emergencies such as traumatic brain injuries and multiple trauma caused by workplace accidents, decompression sickness among divers, or life-threatening medical emergencies including acute myocardial infarction and stroke, transportation by sea can take 24 to 48 hours - far beyond the “golden hours” for emergency and intensive care.
Aeromedical evacuation using fixed-wing aircraft and military helicopters can therefore become a critical means of saving the lives of military personnel and fishermen.
The institute has proposed moving Vietnam’s aeromedical emergency operations away from individual flights toward a standardized system operated under a unified national framework.
A central part of the proposal is to plan and develop a fleet of dedicated medical aircraft, rather than relying primarily on military transport aircraft adapted for individual missions.
Under the proposal, the fleet could include medium-range fixed-wing aircraft configured for intensive care and new-generation helicopters equipped with rescue hoists and permanent medical floors. The aircraft would need to support search and rescue, emergency medical care and patient transportation across difficult terrain.
Alongside the development of the fleet, Vietnam would need to expand its network of helicopter landing sites at provincial general hospitals, central-level hospitals and other key locations.
This would create a connected chain of patient reception, transportation and treatment, minimizing the time required to bring patients to appropriate medical facilities.
Simulated aeromedical emergency training center proposed
Military personnel take part in an aeromedical emergency exercise.
Colonel Tran The Tung, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Defense-Air Force, said providing emergency treatment in the air is entirely different from doing so on the ground.
“When emergency care is provided in the air, patients are affected by pressure, air density, temperature and oxygen conditions,” Tung said. “Personnel therefore need specialized training in aeromedical emergency care.”
The Air Defense-Air Force Institute of Aviation Medicine has proposed establishing a simulated aeromedical emergency training center.
The facility is expected to include a simulated aircraft cabin capable of recreating noise, vibration, pressure changes and nighttime lighting conditions.
The center would train flight physicians and flight nurses, as well as military and civilian medical personnel in patient care and resuscitation in aviation environments.
In the coming period, the institute will continue working with Military Central Hospital 108, Military Hospital 175, the Military Medical Department and relevant agencies on research, training and exercises.
The work is intended to gradually refine Vietnam’s aeromedical emergency procedures and meet the operational requirements of both the institute and the Air Defense-Air Force.
Vietnamnet.vn
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