humanitarian flights

Health transport service proposed by the Green Cross of Padua, with the support of the Veneto region, USL 16, the hospital company and the local university.

An experimental medical transport service with fixed-wing air ambulance for humanitarian missions, where there is no alternative connection, guaranteeing a service in economic and operational terms, with quality levels of excellence.
The use of air travel in health care has generated two categories of services:
  • Primary aeromedical service
    It is universally known as HEMS (Helicopter Medical Emergency Service) hence mainly carried with helicopters and concerned with medical emergency.
    Advantages: operating on hospital terraces and wherever there is minimal space;
    Disadvantages: the service is suitable for relatively short distances, is not pressurized, has limited speed with high operating costs;
  • Secondary aeronautical service
    The fixed wing (turboprop or jet airplane) is used mainly for this service.
    Advantages: has greater cabin capacity; for stretchers and medical crews; comes with intensive care equipment, allows easier patient handling; it is pressurized and flyes at high speed in all weather, for a long range, with lower operating costs per kilometer.
    Disadvantages: it requires adequate airport facilities.
Possible transports with the secondary aeromedical service:
  • according to the mission:
    – Medevac (evacuation of patient)
    – Interhospital (transport from inpatient to specialized hospital)
    – Repatriation (repatriation after discharge)
  • according to the type of transport:
    – long-distance transport of patients who are unable to use alternative modes (e.g. cardiacs, polytraumatized, burned)
    – pediatric transport (thermal cradle)
    – teams and organs
    – biomedical products
    – urgent drugs and rare antidotes