Helicopter Rescue in Nepalese Jungle

It's the middle of the day and the Grande International Hospital (GIH) EMS hotline receives a call from a group of travelers who had been out trekking in a remote jungle near Pokhara, Nepal, and had overturned their vehicle. The GIH-based helicopter EMS (HEMS) air ambulance team is activated. With three sets of jump bags always ready to go, responders go through their checklist as a call back is made to the patient party for additional details: two French citizens were injured after a brake failure overturned their vehicle. Once the team is fully prepared to tackle their condition, responders quickly make their way from the ED on the first floor to the helipad deck on the 14th floor. The patient is carried to the waiting helicopter for transfer to Grande International Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. The helicopter carries the team toward Tanchowk, a lush forested area located in the Lumle Village Development Committee in the Kaski District, about 5,600 feet (1,700 meters) above sea level and 28 miles (45 km) northwest of Pokhara, where the Annapurna base camp-a popular site for tourists who want to trek in the Himalayas-is located. The helicopter's pilot, Captain Suraj Thapa from Heli Everest (a private helicopter tour company), is familiar with the area, and rescuers on board are in constant touch with the patients via satellite phone. After flying for 42 minutes, however, rescuers can't pinpoint the exact location of the patients, who report hearing the helicopter hovering a...
Source: JEMS Patient Care - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: International Patient Care Columns Source Type: news