THE north's Air Ambulance has responded to an average of two incidents every day since it was first launched, it has revealed as the service marks its sixth anniversary.
The Air Ambulance took off for the first time in July 2017, following 12 years of campaigning to secure the vital life-saving service, and is on-call 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
Since its launch, it has been tasked to respond to 3,656 incidents, including road crashes and cardiac emergencies, in which its Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) team have provided life-saving treatment and taken casualties to hospitals.
Patients include Danny Byrne, who last year was injured in a collision as the then-12-year-old cycled home from a shop in Warrenpoint.
He suffered severe facial injuries and was left with a broken femur and damaged nerves in his left arm.
His mother Denise said: “Danny had five days in hospital and a good six months of recovery before he got the all-clear. We cannot thank the Air Ambulance enough for their help that day. If it wasn’t for their quick response and turnaround, Danny’s recovery could have been a lot worse.”
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HEMS operational lead Glenn O’Rorke said: “Medical emergencies don’t discriminate by age, and on average 11 percent of the patients we treat are paediatrics.
"That equates to approximately 70 children and young people each year or one or two a week.
"We are always prepared to treat anyone of any age, and carry a specialised kit which is size-appropriate, and clearly labeled by age for ease of access when every second counts at a scene. "
The Air Ambulance can reach any location in Northern Ireland from its base in Lisburn within 25 minutes.
HEMS clinical lead, Dr Darren Monaghan, said: “The strong partnership of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) and Air Ambulance allows the HEMS team to provide pre-hospital critical care across Northern Ireland."
He added: "Treating critically ill and injured patients is very much a team effort and we owe massive thanks to our colleagues in NIAS, the other emergency services and hospital-based staff.”
As a charity, Air Ambulance NI aims to raise £2.5million each year to maintain the service, with public donations "crucial".
The charity has seen an increase in its running costs, with its daily fundraising target rising from £5,500 to £6,850.
Breige Mulholland, head of operations and finance at Air Ambualnce NI, said: “HEMS is provided by a partnership between the charity and NIAS and we would like to take this opportunity to extend our continued thanks to NIAS and the Department of Health for their continued support.
"Each time the helicopter lifts off we are aware that someone is in great need and that, thanks to the generosity of people locally, the HEMS team can respond and give hope. We are truly grateful to everyone who has been able to support us over the past six years.”
