subject: History Of Air Ambulances [print this page] We are all familiar with airplanes and the wonders it does in getting us from one corner of the planet to the other in a matter of hours. They are comfortable, relieving and most importantly fast. Another trait that they own is the property of flying in the air thereby bypassing any obstacles that might be faced on land. The first people to notice this advantage were the Dutch who found that air lifting a person reduced the chances of death by as much as 50% and hence exploited this mechanism to transport their men quickly depending upon the demands of the incident.
With increasing emergencies cropping up every day in all spheres of life, one can never be sure when they might hit a road block in their usual life and need to get to a hospital. Statistically, it has been found that the major number of deaths take place either due to delay in arrival to the medical institution or lack of facilities in the compound. In order to cope up with this problem and facilitate the patients with getting the right medical attention, the air ambulances were formed.
The name air ambulance means an ambulance that flies in the air. This method was first used officially in the year 1917 when an injured British soldier was transported to the nearest medical facility located at a distance of 3 days by road in 45 minutes thus saving his life. After the world war one which was the first war of its kind, air ambulance was used in the extreme situations. By the 1930s, these facilities were made available to the general public, at a cost of course. People in Britain and Australia were the first to get exposure to it.
After these incidents, the use to air transport grew more and more with many countries all across the world taking heed and implementing their own services. This method again proved to be a huge advantage during the world war two resulting in saving lives of many soldiers and personals alike.
Although the concept of air ambulances started with the use of air planes, over the years with the advancement in technical areas, now the use of helicopters is also common. The helicopters are much more convenient due to their comparatively easier availability and also cheaper rates. Further advantage that the helicopters posses is the fact that the area required by them to land are bare minimum which allows them to land even in the remotest of locations.
Even today, when we have top class road transport with cars reaching speeds of 200 mph, the air ambulances have not lost their importance. They still adorn the skies during sports events where accidents are not uncommon, acquainting the sportspersons with the necessary medical facilities as soon as possible. Air ambulance is the way for people who seek immediate medical attention but cannot receive the same in the region of residence requiring transport to an area rich in medical facilities. Air ambulances are expensive due to commercial aspect and it is best to avail them after insuring oneself for travel.
