Airgurus Acquires ParaPAC Plus 310

The number 1 air ambulance company in the Philippines and one of the leading medevac providers in Asia, Airgurus has recently acquired the Pneupac ParaPAC Plus 310.

ParaPAC Plus 310 is the latest addition to the Pneupac range by Smiths Medical which are all designed for paramedics and trained emergency personnel's use to enable great control of breathing parameters for our patients. This equipment gives the versatility to deliver oxygen therapy, CPAP (Constant Positive Airway Pressure), demand oxygen and mechanical ventilation all from one compact, lightweight unit.

Among its' main features is a built-in oxygen therapy facility, an integrated PEEP (positive end-expiratory pressure) function, luminescent manometer, a display of inspiratory and expiratory pressure and manual ventilation control for compliance with CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) ratios and CPAP which has a setting of 0.5 liters per minute of oxygen all the way up to 35 liters per minute.  This latest acquisition by Airgurus is designed for the most demanding environments... emergency, ambulance, aircraft, hospital and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging).

With our goal to always keep our helicopters and other aircraft medically-suited / update with the best and top of the line equipment for our patients' needs, Airgurus remains to be the most trusted air ambulance / medevac company in the Philippine archipelago and now providing air medical transport to and from various parts of Asia. 

Airgurus... anytime and anywhere in Asia.  

   

Medevac Peak Season Starts Summer in The Philippines

Summer starts in March and is usually the beginning of Airgurus' peak season when it comes to Medevac operations in the Philippines. It doesn't end when summer ends though... Medevac peak season for us lasts  till the end of the year.

At the start of this month alone, we have flown to various parts of the country to secure a handful of minor airlifts and 5 major medical cases that needed urgent evacuation to Cebu and Manila hospitals ranging from heart attack / stroke, Aneurysm, diving accidents and neonatal cases. These are aside from the other services that Airgurus offers. Our priority however, is Air Ambulance and Medevac services.

Saving lives in the Philippines is never an easy matter for us. We make sure of our patient's wellness and flight safety in any weather condition. We work 24/7. We fly for medical emergencies anywhere in the archipelago, night and day.

For anyone needing medical evacuation, call Airgurus Ltd. Co. our hotlines are +632 781 0787 | 632 781 2707 +63 920 955 0897 | +63 917 596 6288 | + 63 917 838 5802.

2013 Goals: Additional Aircraft For Air Ambulance

The term "Air Ambulance" (a specially outfitted aircraft that transport the sick or injured in a medical emergency or over distances or terrain impractical for a conventional ground ambulance) used to be unknown in the Philippines.

Via Airgurus, we have earned our mark in the nation. After 2012, we can firmly say that the terms "air ambulance, medevac|medivac" (emergency evacuation of the sick or wounded) are no longer strange words and along with our efforts to make them known, Airgurus has become synonymous to those terms.

For years, we have been providing medical air transport for people with various health conditions in the country and we have conducted / achieved so far, 964 successful medevac missions as of January 16. Capt. Harry Lero, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Pilot of Airgurus Ltd. Co., felt the growing need to add more reliable air medical transport vehicles and aircraft to the fleet.

A bigger helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft comes in his mind and Capt. Lero is bent to achieve these goals by the 2nd quarter of the year to solely dedicate them to the sick and the injured in the Philippines.

Anytime. Anywhere. Airgurus. For inquiries, visit our website www.airgurus.com or contact 24/7 hotlines for medical emergencies: +6327810787 | +639175966288







       

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

Airgurus Air Ambulance: Saving Lives 24/7 in The Philippines

Airgurus Ltd. Co. launched early this year our 24-hours-per-day, 365 days-per-year medical evacuation / medevac services anywhere in the Philippines via the Airgurus Air Ambulance Helicopter services.

Acknowledging the needs of Filipinos during crucial medical situations, our Chief Pilot / President, Capt. Harry Lero added another aircraft for the fleet solely dedicated to our Air Ambulance Service.

With just one call away, every Filipino and foreign residents should know that that if an accident at remote areas (not accessible by larger aircraft requiring runways) or anywhere else in the Philippine Archipelago, a helicopter air ambulance will be able to save lives.

All Airgurus' choppers features state-of-the-art medical equipment and are the only helicopters with litter kit (double deck stretcher) in the Philippines... managed and maintained by highly-trained and experienced  medical flight crews. The same goes with our other aircraft. In the cramped space, our helicopters carry equipment, supplies and medications similar to those found in an intensive care unit such as intravenous pumps, a ventilator, cardiac monitoring and a defibrillator. With our litter kit, there's enough room for two patients if necessary, on stretchers.

Our medical flight doctor, flight nurse/paramedic bring complimentary skills... all are experts of providing medical care in the tight quarters of an air ambulance and knows intensive care units inside out.

To do the safest and dedicated Air Ambulance service in the Philippines, our 24/7 Airgurus Operations staff handles the emergency calls/queries then immediately coordinates/delegate information to our pilots. They then summon our 24/7 medical flight crews (consisting of a medical flight doctor and a flight nurse) and advise  aircraft maintenance mechanics on-duty to double-check aircraft, medical equipment and medical needs of a patient. Fastest response time is 30 minutes and everyone will be ready upon confirmation of a patient's scheduled transfer.

Airgurus does it professionally when it comes to Air Ambulance Services in the Philippines. We are the most experienced in the trade and industry as never a week goes by that we have not transferred patients needing urgent medical attention at apt medical facilities.

Hundreds and/or thousands of feet in the air (depending on what altitude is required per case), our medical flight crews have numerous tales to tell every week...  giving utmost medical care to head trauma cases, heart attack victims, delivering critically-ill children / babies, critically-injured collision victims, scuba diving accident victims and so many more. Doing air ambulance services is always exciting and challenging for our entire operations but it never leaves our minds that we have to deliver everyone throughout their golden hours... the hours between life and death.

The Philippine Archipelago's Emergency Room In The Sky

Airgurus' air ambulance services is the Philippines' Emergency Room in the Sky. 

We are the most experienced and most reliable air ambulance provider in the country having achieved the following:

• A lot of flying hours done - Doing critical air care especially on bad weather conditions is not easy. Practicing medicine in the sky presents its own difficulties. Only the same dedicated pilots and medical flight crew can pull it off as a lot of team work, understanding, experience and communication can help prevent things going wrong.

• A vast expertise on handling patients with various medical cases, injuries, etc. in tight quarters of an air ambulance - The depletion of oxygen and changing air pressure are always medical challenges thus; our highly-skilled medevac pilots and dedicated medical flight crew constantly communicates and always keep this in mind from take-off to landing.

• An in-depth intensive care experience by air. - The noise, vibrations and the temperature of the aircraft can present problems for the patient's health and comfort. Hundreds or thousands feet in the air in tight, sometimes turbulent cabins of a turboprop aircraft and helicopters, our medical flight crew gets to restart hearts, insert breathing tubes, deliver babies, etc. With our pilots' steady hands, these procedures are done smoothly and successfully.

We are the number one in the Philippines when it comes air ambulance service because of our reliability, fast response in operation and our own dedicated medical flight crew to provide critical air care to patients needing to be transferred to apt medical facilities. 

We are committed to providing patients with the highest level of aero medical care in the country. For more details, visit our website www.airgurus.com

On Dedicated Professional Helicopter Services in the Philippines

The month of July, 2011 for Airgurus has been a very busy one and the past week especially, is overwhelming. Tons of flights have happened for a full week last week. Our chief pilot, Capt. Harry Lero found himself flying his chopper in places various parts of the Philippines.

Monday, July 18, 2011 – Capt. Lero started with chartering a whole day of dedicated schedule for a very helpful and kind politician’s medical mission in Laguna area.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011 – The Captain had a full day flying a bunch of tourists from Europe, to and from Metro Manila and various parts in the North of Luzon to give them the best scenic tours of at a bird’s eye-view.

Wednesday, July 20 to July 23, 2011 – The two pilots, Capt. Lero and Capt. Alvin Portas flew chopper #1  to Butuan City to charter corporate VIPs of a mining firm in Mindanao. Geologists and top executives made them very busy.  Chopper #2 meanwhile, flown by the highly-rated Capt. Harry Lero Sr. is in Laguna chartering VIPs. During these days, the Airgurus team of executives constantly monitor the whereabouts of choppers through the high tech tracking system. Airgurus Ltd. Co. is one of the only 2 helicopter / aircraft company in the Philippines with real time tracking system ensuring our clients' safety (the other one is not in the charter business).

Saturday, July 23, 2011 – All our pilots returned late afternoon to home base thinking that they’d be able to get some rest only to find out they have a full Sunday schedule of chartering VIPs to and from various parts of Southern Luzon.

Sunday, July 24, 2011 – Today for our chief pilot, was dedicated to safely charter  to and from Tagaytay a regular client… President and CEO of Versace. At past 2pm, he landed at the hangar only to go back to Tagaytay, to respond to a medical evacuation (Medevac) of a vehicular accident that happened at the time he was heading back to Manila. Airgurus’ medical team acted on a fast response in minutes. The motorcycle rider in critical condition was immediately and directly brought to Makati Medical Center’s helipad for immediate treatment at the hospital’s emergency room.

It’s been a hectic week for Airgurus… capping it off with a life saved! 

Kudos to Capt. Harry Lero for a great week of various helicopter services as well as our highly-skilled pilots and the entire team of Airgurus... for ensuring safety, professionalism and dedicated service to clients! This week goes to the books!

Official Statement from: 

J. Ledesma / Airgurus Marketing Director

Medevac / Medivac / EMS / HEMS in the Philippines

Airgurus provides professional Air ambulance services and is recognized as a leader in medical air transportation in the Philippines. Our flight crew include some of the most experienced flight paramedics in field. Airgurus owns and operates the Bell 206- L3 which features state-of-the-art medical equipment and is the only helicopter with litter kit (Double deck stretcher) in the Philippines... managed and maintained by  Airgurus' employed highly trained flight crews. 

Our Air Ambulance Service offers 24 hours emergency and non-emergency medical transport services throughout the country. Our commitment to excellence is to provide out patients with the highest level of aero medical care including Medivac/Medevac (Medical Evacuation) services at the most cost effective price. 

This commitment to quality and cost effective is delivered by combining the talents of our highly trained medical and service oriented flight crews and a quality driven management team dedicated to treating each of our patients as if they were members of our own family.

Our Medevac Service capabilities are supported by our 24 hours flight coordination center staffed by air ambulance specialists. Our flight coordinators are specialized in assisting customers in all aspect to ensure a smooth, safe and efficient transfer of the patient.

Airgurus Ltd. Co. is the number one in the Philippines when it comes to Medevac/Medivac because of our reliability and fast response in operation, fully equipped medical apparatus, highly trained medical flight personnel, tie-ups with the Philippine's most equipped and advanced hospitals and insurance companies worldwide.


For a fast quote, contact our 24/7 operations center at +632 781 2707 / +632 781 0787 / + 632 920 955 0897 / +632 908 888 6829 / +63 917 596 6288 or email us directly at info@airgurus.com