History of Emergency Medical Services

The concept of air ambulances was first introduced in 1926, in the US by the Army Air Corps. Read on to know more about the history of emergency medical services or air medical ambulances. 

The first air ambulance was used to transport patients from Nicaragua to Panama. Military airplanes were often used in the Word War II for evacuation of soldiers from the battlefield. Even helicopters were pressed into service in the war against Korea since reaching the injured by road was not possible.

1. Quick Evacuations

The army soon realized that air ambulances and helicopters were saving time and soldiers lives much faster than the conventional road ambulances. Soon, dedicated helicopters were converted into medical helicopters. According to records, around 22,000 troops were actually evacuated by air in the World War II. This is a huge number and the number of causalities could be much higher had there been no air medical support for the wounded soldiers on the line of duty.

2. Lack of Specialized Skills

Earlier, by the time a patient reached a specialized facility, it was all too late. Either the journey took too long or the logistics support was not able to organize the arrangements on time. It was due to this reason that healthcare service providers as well as various government health departments began to consider the use of helicopters and planes for transporting wounded and critically ill patients.

3. Air Ambulances As a Boon

Travel medical assistance companies brought about a revolution in the medical industry. Soon patients were being picked up from their homes even in the interiors and transported to specialized facilities in record time. The logistics teams were able to organize all activities beforehand, allowing the patient to get well earlier than it was previously possible.