Air ambulance Service for Neonatal Cases in the Philippines

Airgurus' medical flight team of critical care doctor and nurses took off from the hangar in Pasay City last August 24, 2011 for a series of medical flight missions. The first mission, according to air ambulance helicopter pilot Capt. Harry Lero, was to transport a premature baby with breathing problems from Bacolod City to Manila for advanced neonatal critical care.

Airgurus is the only air ambulance company in the Philippines that has a specialized neonatal transport team to accomplish such a mission. The work would not stop there. Capt. Lero said,  that after the first flight, the team flew  from Manila to Boracay to transport a patient with an orthopedic injury and flew to San Vicente, Palawan transport a child with a spinal cord injury resulting from a fall.

"Our company provides air medical evacuation for ill and/or injured babies, children and adult persons throughout the Philippines" he said. The company has staffed a remarkable group of critical care doctors, nurses and medics to provide excellent patient care, bed-to-bed service and customized care to meet the needs of patients and their family members. 

As the owner of the air ambulance company, Capt. Lero said he has been delighted with the response from the local communities in various regions as well as the top medical facilities in the country. The company has a home base in General Aviation Area, Manila Domestic Airport but will soon expand its business south of the Philippines in order to meet the need.

There are some clients namely doctors, hospitals, clinics, insurance companies, etc. down there with whom we have a regular, long-standing relationship. The company has transported a lot of patients including pediatric burn victims. We are repositioning our aircraft and a team so we can better service those existing customers and to offer service to other medical centers in various regions in the South.

Founded in 2006, the company currently operates a fleet of air ambulance aircraft that include fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. The difference between Airgurus and most other air ambulance services is that we transport patients who are stable, but need to be taken a substantial distance for specific and special treatments. The reason these patients use the service is because they can't travel by airline and may need immediate medical assistance.

The first mission was transporting the premature baby highlights the company's specialty in neonatal care. "Very often, the need for this transportation is created by circumstances related to special needs," Capt. Lero said. "We move a lot of neonatal cases from hospitals where they were born to facilities in Manila where they can get cardiac surgery."

Capt. Lero said his company prides itself on providing the highest standards of both care and transport operations. "Quality management is a cornerstone for us. There aren't air ambulance operations that provide services like this in the country."


1st Artistic Photo courtesy of Jonel Candelaria

Phillipines Air Ambulance: Airgurus Case No. 831 Dengue

Dengue... a scary medical emergency accompanied by abrupt fever, nausea, red and white patchy rashes, headaches, bone pain that affects legs, joints and the lumbar region of the spine. 

But what if it becomes a Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever or Dengue Shock Syndrome? This carry the same symptoms but accompanied by bleeding or hemorrhagic manifestations ie., bleeding in stomach (vomit), gums, nose and decrease in blood platelet (Thrombocytopenia). These symptoms when not treated may lead to Dengue Shock Syndrome... which when not treated immediately, may lead to profound shock and eventually death.

Airgurus' Air Ambulance Chopper 1 just took off 6am the morning of August 23, 2011 to pick up a patient from Pangasinan and transport him directly to an apt medical facility in Manila. Profusely sweating, the balikbayan patient on vacation in the Philippines, had an on and off fever for 4 days and while on transit his temperature is 40 C. Although the patient has not been diagnosed with Dengue, his family wanted to make sure of his well-being and that he gets the immediate treatment.

Dengue is a potentially serious disease caused by a virus transmitted within humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. A serious public health threat in warm subtropical and tropical areas of the world such as Philippines, most people can recover from it but in some cases, dengue fever can lead to serious complications including hemorrhage and shock if not treated immediately at apt medical facilities.

Seek immediate medical care! If you or someone you know (located anywhere at remote places in the Philippines and/or far away from medical facilities in Manila) have been diagnosed with dengue fever and develop bleeding symptoms or change of consciousness, call our air ambulance hot lines +63 920 9550897, + 632 781 2707 and + 632 781 0787 for immediate medical evacuation!

We are operating our air ambulance services 24/7 to help save lives! 

Capt. Harry Lero: Air Ambulance Helicopter Pilot

Air Ambulance helicopter pilots like Capt. Harry Lero, chief pilot and President of Airgurus Ltd. Co., keep in mind that they must be at all times, quick and ready with his medevac crew.

Within 15 minutes of receiving an urgent medical evacuation call, Capt. Lero and his crew must be able to "wheel up". Even on ungodly hours, they have to be ready to respond very quickly and head for a mad dash to the hangar to prepare for a mission's flight plan, get suited up, ensure supplies and equipment, check the aircraft plus, everyone and everything else ready.

Being a medevac pilot, Capt. Lero can't be like most regular men. He can't afford to drink during any occasions, can't do late-night-outs, can't have weekends out of town, can't go on long vacations, can't go out of the country and most of all,  he can't afford to get sick. While most men and women would think he leads a boring life, it's not. He leads a most challenging life being a helicopter pilot and not just a plain helicopter pilot at that... he is a medevac helicopter pilot. Only a few people in the world can claim with certainty that they hold the balance of life and death in their hands.... not only claim it but save lives on a daily basis.  It takes more than helicopter pilots to perform the life-saving missions.  

As a medical evacuation helicopter pilot in the Philippines, Capt. Harry Lero, know how crucial it is to get a medically-ill patient to an apt medical facility as soon as possible. Not to mention, vehicular accident victims, battlefield casualties, people with critical cases. Aside from running an aircraft company, Capt. Lero's main job is to pick up patients and that he must be ready to pick up calls anytime and anywhere he would be in the Philippines. 

Each of the captain's medevac flight crew also includes his crew chief, a doctor and a nurse / paramedic. Most of the initial care has been performed by responding physicians and hospitals on pick-up location. The medical flight crew attends to the patient while on board the air ambulance. The crew chief on the other hand, ensures that the aircraft is always mechanically ready for missions and helps place patients. 

Capt. Lero carefully chooses his medevac flight team. All are highly-experienced in providing aero-medical care on the patient during transit. His crew chief is primarily concerned with making sure there are no objects near the aircraft when landing and taking off, checking around the helicopter for potential threats while flying and performing maintenance when the aircraft is on ground.  Combined with Capt. Lero's skills as a medevac helicopter pilot, the roles of his medevac flight team all work toward the same goal... to transport patients to the areas necessary for proper treatment while keeping the patient alive during the flight.

It has been long gone that patients will have to wait for the utmost care they need... that families will endure worrying for their loved one's condition in the country.  Nowadays, patients enjoy sophisticated medical care on Airgurus' air ambulance / medevac helicopters that function like flying hospitals. 

Capt. Harry Lero of Airgurus along with his medevac flight crew, leads a very challenging life....  takes their own lives to the skies to save lives in the Philippines.

Air Ambulance Helicopters in the Philippines

With the growing demand for medevac / air ambulance helicopters, Airgurus, the leader in professional medical evacuation services in the Philippines, has recently added an Agusta Westland 109A to the fleet. The helicopter boasts several new state-of-the-art features, including several global positioning units, terrain avoidance technology, tracking systems and so many more.

With our medical flight crew and paramedics on duty at all times, Airgurus' air ambulance of med-flight helicopters are on a stand-by to save lives 24/... delivering the very best in aero-medical care.

"It’s more of a flying intensive care unit than an ambulance, with room for one patient and two medical attendants. The new med-flight helicopter that took to the skies this July will help save lives across the region. We excited about the new aircraft, because its' increased space allows for better health care in the skies. We are here to provide Med-Flight services and Medevac is the primary mission and reason for us to be here.", said Capt. Harry Lero, Chief Pilot and President of Airgurus Ltd. Co.

Capt. Lero, known in the country as the best medical evacuation helicopter pilot in the country, knows how critical it is to get the medically-ill patients or accident victims to a medical facility as soon as possible. It also takes more than helicopter pilots to perform the life-saving missions. Along with his roster of medical evacuation helicopter pilots in the country, their job is to pick up patients anywhere in the Philippines... They have to be ready to take a call at anytime.

With the addition of the Agusta Westland 109A to their fleet would be beneficial to all our global citizens who travel in the country every day as well as the Filipino residents. This means a lot speed – it decreases the amount of time it takes to get wounded people to the hospital thus; saving lives in a daily basis.

Philippines Air Ambulance FAQ No. 2: Who Needs An Air Ambulance?

Who Needs An Air Ambulance?

• Patients needing extensive or urgent medical attention when time is critical
• Patients with critical illness or injury when patient cannot be transported by any commercial means
• Patients with an injury or illness or figured in an accident while traveling
• Patients with illness or injury requiring treatment by a specialist at apt medical facilities
• Non-emergency patients needing to be brought closer to home or home with medical escorts

For patients requiring urgent care, an air ambulance is the most appropriate choice. With our own team of highly-skilled doctors, registered nurses, respiratory therapists, pediatric specialists and critical care paramedics, Airgurus offers bedside to bedside services to those in need of medical air transport domestically and internationally.

Philippines Air Ambulance FAQ No. 1: What Is An Air Ambulance?

What is an Air Ambulance?

An air ambulance is an aircraft used for means of safely and comfortably transporting patients who are too ill to travel long or even short distances by ground. All air ambulance aircraft are of business class specifications equipped for extensive or urgent medical evacuations. At its best, an air ambulance transport is the fastest method of transporting critically-ill patients from one facility to another. 

Airgurus provides air ambulance services and is recognized as the leader in medical air transportation in the Philippines. Airgurus' Bell 206- L3 and Agusta Westland 109A features state-of-the-art medical equipment and are the only helicopters in the Philippines with litter kit (Double deck stretcher). Complete with a real time tracking system for all of our aircraft, we are one of the only two aircraft companies in the Philippines with this system to ensure flight safety, the well-being of the patient and real time coordination to the best medical facilities in the country.

Airgurus has two types of air ambulance aircraft for medical transport: helicopters and fixed-wing airplanes. The state-of-the-art medically-suited helicopters are used for short-haul, critical cases,  trauma-related emergency flights and are also used when there are no runways available for a fixed-wing aircraft to land. Our fixed-wing aircraft are customized with stretchers, advanced life support equipment, medications and specialized flight-trained medical staff ... most of the time, these are used for non-emergency medical evacuation.  

Our helicopters and all of our medically-suited aircraft are religiously managed and maintained by highly trained flight and maintenance crews as our air ambulance service offers 24 hours emergency and non-emergency medical transport services throughout the country and off-shore. In the cramped spaces of our helicopters especially, we carry supplies and medications similar to those found in an intensive care unit i.e., intravenous pumps, a ventilator, cardiac monitoring systems and defibrillator, resuscitation equipment, suction, intubation equipment, balloon pump, IV, ACLS drug complement and any other specialty equipment necessary for each individual patient's needs. With our litter kit, there's even enough room for two patients if necessary, on stretchers.

Airgurus offers multiple domestic aircraft options designed to meet individual requirements and budget considerations. We also offer international air ambulance transports to bring patients home or closer to home with medical escorts. 

For more details, visit the website www.airgurus.com

PHILIPPINES AIR AMBULANCE: AIRGURUS CASE # 822 APPENDICITIS

Classified as an medical emergency requiring an Air Ambulance, Appendicitis is a condition characterized by the inflammation of the appendix that in most cases, requiring the removal of the inflamed appendix either by laparatomy or laparoscopy.

If appendicitis is untreated, mortality is high mainly because of the risk of rupture leading to peritonitis and shock.

Documenting the aforementioned case in real time... Airgurus' Air Ambulance Helicopter #1 took off at 1:55pm bound for Boracay Island to execute the medical evacuation of a man suffering from appendicitis.

As of writing (2:51pm of August 9, 2011), the Air Ambulance Helicopter # 1 is passing through waters nearby Mindoro Island estimated to arrive Boracay Island by 4pm after a short refuel stop at Caticlan.

The patient's attending physician in Boracay Island contacted Airgurus for his immediate medical transfer to St. Lukes' Global City, Taguig to be endorsed to a specialist, Dr. Dela Pena at an expected time of 6pm.

For people and patients in the Philippines requiring urgent care, an air ambulance is the most appropriate choice. With our own team of high-skilled doctors, registered nurses, respiratory therapists, pediatric specialists and critical care paramedics, Airgurus offers bedside to bedside services to those in need of medical air transport domestically and internationally.

We are fast in our response to medical evacuations.... challenging but it never left our minds that anytime... anywhere... we have to deliver everyone throughout the golden hours... the hours between life and death.

Air Ambulance Case # 822 in the Philippines... currently happening!

Ambulansyang De Elisi by Jessica Soho: Air Ambulance in the Philippines

Saving lives 24/7 in the Philippines is the company, Airgurus. Jessica Soho, a notable Filipino broadcast journalist, documentarian, news director featured Airgurus last August 1, 2011 on GMA7's "Brigada" for the company's remarkable air ambulance services in the Philippines as reported by Bernadette Reyes.

Airgurus provides Air Ambulance services and is recognized as the leader in medical air transportation in the Philippines. The medical flight crew include some of the most experienced flight paramedics in the field with 800++ lives saved to date.

The featured Bell 206-L3 in this video features state-of-the-art medical equipment and is the only helicopter with litter kit (double-deck stretcher) in the Philippines. A new chopper, Airgurus' A109 will soon be the 2nd to have the litter kit.

To know more about Airgurus' 24/7 air ambulance emergency and non-emergency services, go to www.airgurus.com

Watch the video "Ambulansyang De Elisi" at Airgurus' Youtube Channel

New Emergency Rescue Takes Off

It is a scary thought: you are seriously ill or injured and need to get to a hospital in Manila now.

You have only three options: emergency airlift, take a commercial flight, or go to Kalibo's hospital.

Kalibo's hospital may not have the necessary equipment or staff. Taking a commercial flight is only possible if the patient is able to be transported sitting up. Emergency airlifts are extremely expensive and, in the Philippines, can cost upwards of P1-million pesos. An emergency helicopter trip from Boracay to Manila typically costs P250,000-300,000. 

Enter SkyAid, a membership program organized by two of the Philippines' leading air ambulance service providers, Airgurus Ltd. Co. offering members free emergency medical transportation for as little as P10 per day per person, with their most expensive plan for individual one-week visitors running only P143 per day.

SkyAid's medical evacuation team is composed of four helicopters and three fixed-wing aircraft. Their aircraft are nothing like the tiny helicopter based in Caticlan that long-time residents of the island know from island airlift stories. Their helicopter fleet is made up of a Bell 206 L3 (Longranger), Agusta Westland 109A, Eurocopter AS350B, Bell 206 B3 (Jetranger) and Robinson R44, supported by the fixed wing Baron 58, Kingair 200 and Cessna 206.
 

Capt. Harry Lero from SkyAid and Dr. "Girlie" Teotico of Metropolitan Doctors Medical Clinic recently invited the Boracay Sun staff on a tour of the island on their spacious Bell Longranger helicopter, giving us a first-hand experience with their professional crew and well-maintained aircraft. A dual- purpose aircraft capable of carrying five passengers, it converts in only 20 minutes to a medical transport capable of holding two stretchers, two passengers and medical gear.

As it is estimated that 40-60 people are airlifted from Boracay to Manila for emergency medical treatment each year, SkyAid's arrival is welcome.

Acting somewhat like insurance, SkyAid's membership fee of P9,000 per year for individuals is a hedge against the huge cost of an air evacuation. Four-person family memberships (covering children up to age 40) cost only P21,000 per year. SkyAid also offers discounted rates for multi-year commitments, with the five-year family plan only costing P3,750 per person per year. SkyAid covers members traveling anywhere within the Philippines, not just while in Boracay.

One of the biggest challenges in a medical air-evacuation scenario is travel time. Almost all of the Philippines’ medical evacuation fleet, including SkyAid's, is permanently housed in Manila. Upon receiving notice of a situation in Boracay, they need to prepare for flight, fly to Boracay and then refuel in Caticlan before heading back to Manila. This means it takes three to four hours after the phone call before a patient arrives at a hospital in Manila.

SkyAid will tackle this challenge by permanently locating a helicopter in Boracay at Fairways and Bluewater starting in the first half of 2011, cutting transportation time to Manila in half.

Although not for everyone, this service seems ideal for those engaging in the more adventurous activities such as kiteboarding or diving. Some premier resorts are also choosing to include the coverage as an optional add-on for their guests.

Like all contracts, reading the fine print is important. The service covers two transports per year, but only if they are separated by more than 30 days. If the illness is psychiatric – caused by attempted suicide, alcohol or drug abuse – you won't be covered. 

Bumps and bruises won't get you a free trip to Manila, either. According to SkyAid, "decisions regarding urgency of the case, the best timing and most suitable means of transportation will be made by the SkyAid Air Ambulance medical director after consultation with the attending physician and member's receiving physician."

SkyAid will transport you only when "extensive or urgent medical attention is needed and time-critical, when illness or injury requires treatment by a specialist and/or use of the facilities of other hospitals within 24 hours. The illness or injury must be one where the patient cannot be transported by commercial means."

Anyone under the age of 70 may apply for membership, but due to aircraft weight and size, members must weigh less than 300 pounds. There is no medical checkup. 

SkyAid membership does have additional perks, such as a P20,000 emergency medical fund to help with non-transport costs, 20% off aircraft charter from Airgurus Ltd. Co., and one companion may accompany the patient, at no additional cost, on the medical aircraft if space is available and the patient's care is not compromised.

If you think SkyAid might be for you, more information can be found at their website www.airgurus.com. Either way, there is comfort in knowing that there is a service like this for residents and tourists alike. Not to mention knowing that a larger helicopter will soon be calling Boracay home, halving emergency transport times.

Written by: Nick Brown


Source: Boracay Sun / Island News (Sunboracay Archive Dec-Jan 2011)

To know more about Airgurus' 24/7 air ambulance emergency and non-emergency services, go to www.airgurus.com