Helicopter ambulance planned for take-off

TALLINN - A special helicopter ambulance service would decrease the number of fatalities and wheelchair cases, the foundation Medicopter Estonia believes.

Established last October, the foundation wants to launch and co-ordinate a medical helicopter service that would be used in life-threatening cases Ð when the life of a patient depends on minutes and even seconds.

According to Urve Siipsen, the foundation's managing director, it's main task is raising funds to obtain a helicopter and hire the technical staff.

Medicopter Estonia hopes to take advantage of the experience of their Finnish counterparts, Medi Heli OY, established in 1992.

Medi Heli OY, which is equipped with the latest medical tools and highly experienced medical personnel and pilots, is coordinated by the national Finnish Rescue Service only, which decides when the helicopter should be deployed.

According to Medicopter, a 30-minute delay in professional medical care reduces a critical patient's chances of survival by one third, and a delay of more than 90 minutes decreases the chances of survival by 90 percent.

Ulo Kivistik, head of the intensive therapy department at Mustamae Hospital, the largest in Tallinn, is a strong supporter of the Medicopter project. "Our hospital has been using airplanes and helicopters from the Defense Forces for transporting critical patients since 1993, and in recent years we have used helicopters more often than planes," said Kivistik.

Mustamae hospital has an agreement with the National Health Insurance Fund, which absorbs the expenses of helicopter transport. Between 1995 and 2000, there were about two dozen cases that required helicopter transport, said Kivistik.

"I can confirm, judging from personal experience, that using a helicopter as an ambulance has proven itself as useful and necessary," said Kivistik.

Ari Kinnunen, a Medi Heli doctor, said that many people in Finland question the necessity of a helicopter ambulance.

"Laymen and even some doctors believe the regular car ambulance can reach any patient in five minutes. But the helicopter paramedics are more experienced and targeted to immediate treatment of trauma patients. Besides, the helicopter flies 230 kilometers per hour," said Kinnunen. According to Kinnunen, it takes up to five minutes to get the helicopter into the air after receiving a call.