Saving lives
Helicopter emergency medical services
More than five decades of life-saving missions
Helicopters can reach the scene of an accident three to five times faster than ground vehicles and are sometimes the only possibility for difficult-to-access terrain. In such cases, medical care can be administered sooner and the chance of survival goes up significantly. Helicopters may seem like an obvious choice for quickly bringing rescue teams to accident sites and patients to hospitals, but the path to having Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) as a part of everyday life took many pioneers in the industry, working together to help make the world safer.
In celebration of that legacy, Airbus is featuring HEMS operators from around the world who helped push the boundaries and are working every day in the fight to save lives.
Saving lives
Operators in the fight to save lives
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A portrait of HEMS in Chile
As an in-flight medical director for emergency services provider Eliance in Chile, Dr. Karina Flores Rojas does some of her most critical work hundreds of feet above the ground with adrenaline surging – and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I can say without any exaggeration that I adore my job,” said Flores Rojas, who began taking part in HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Services) operations while working at the Aerospace Medicine Centre of the Chilean Air Force (FACh) – which she joined after graduating as a doctor.
Flores Rojas has worked in different roles with various HEMS service providers since 2017, including medical management and medical crew tasks. This includes her time as Head of Aviation Medicine for the Chile’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) – which focussed on establishing rules and procedures for local air ambulances.
“I can say without any exaggeration that I adore my job,” said Flores Rojas, who began taking part in HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Services) operations while working at the Aerospace Medicine Centre of the Chilean Air Force (FACh) – which she joined after graduating as a doctor.
Flores Rojas has worked in different roles with various HEMS service providers since 2017, including medical management and medical crew tasks. This includes her time as Head of Aviation Medicine for the Chile’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) – which focussed on establishing rules and procedures for local air ambulances.
