Cop chopper makes two medic runs to Brac
RCIPS helicopter
(CNS): The police helicopter was used for two medical emergencies in the Sister Islands this week; one was a medical evacuation of a critical heart patient and the other was the transportation of a specialist doctor and blood for a maternity emergency. The Air Operations Unit collected a heart patient from Faith Hospital in Cayman Brac Thursday lunchtime and transported him directly to Health City in East End, considerably reducing the travel time to the cardiac hospital. On Tuesday 29 September, around 11am, a doctor and a quantity of blood was flown to the Brac hospital after the HSA requested assistance for a pregnant patient in critical condition.
The car park of Faith Hospital was cleared in both instances so that the helicopter could land. Health City, however, has a helicopter landing site.
Thanks to the quick delivery, the patient underwent successful surgery, and both the mother and her unborn child are currently in good condition, police say.
Both incidents demonstrate the speed and versatility of the police helicopter and AOU officers to respond to critical situations.
“Whilst not a regular occurrence, we are always prepared for this kind of flight and glad that we can help bring about a positive outcome for everyone involved,” said Air Operations Unit Commander, Steve Fitzgerald.
Category: Health, Medical Health, Police
Amen @ 10:31. My mother has personally benefited from the specialist care (Cardiologists) at Health City, thank God. There are many other success stories such as the ones mentioned in the captioned article. However, we (members of our local community) still prefer to travel abroad for medical services, instead of supporting our local health care facilities. Of course there are pros and cons to both.
Even if you’re not an expert on health care, you probably know that the costs of care in our islands and the United States are high—really high. Maybe you’ve even heard that the U.S. spends more on health care than any other country. But what does it mean? Why does it happen? And can we do anything about it?
It is a fact that health care dollars are spent on medical services that do nothing to improve our health—and which may even be harmful. This “excess care” can be a byproduct of poor care coordination, such as when a patient has an MRI in his doctor’s office and then another one two weeks later in the hospital.
Excess care also stems from quality and safety problems. Each year, thousands of patients are treated for problems that shouldn’t have occurred in the first place, such as a serious infection picked up in the hospital. Overtreatment is also a big problem: opting for surgery, when medication or a less-invasive procedure would be equally effective (and less risky), is just one example.
Do you think we need a thorough review of health care in The Cayman Islands; to innovate and improve where necessary?
Another great article CNS! It is truly a blessing as @ 8:53 said; to know that there is multipurpose use for the Police helicopter and the fact that with the expertise of the AOPC it has the ability to save lives is extremely good.
Thank you for your clear-cut suggestions @ 9:55! As a community we truly should stop focusing on the negative – complaining about the issues, bad governance, improper budget spending, inadequate education system, tearing our fellow man down. Would it not be better use of our time, resources and God- given talents to instead think positively, of ways to make the necessary improvements and offer up up our solutions?
There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative. ~ W. Clement Stone
People forget that this helicopter was ordered by Government in response to an urgent request to Cabinet by the then newly appointed Police Commissioner, Stuart Kernohan, who was, himself…. erm… a helicopter pilot who needed to be able to maintain his license to fly. It was a knee-jerk reaction by the PPM government of the time to give him everything he asked for-including extra cops-because we were having a crime wave and the previous Police Commissioner, who …erm…was Caymanian had left things in a mess. Is it cost effective? Very possibly so, but it is an example of the expansion of the civil service that people grumbling about that never take into consideration-more cops, more prison guards, more customs officers, more firemen, more FOI people, more teachers.
So true, 6:56. There is so much ignorance about the growth of the civil service it is sickening.
Excellent Job RCIP-AOU!
This issue shows us how valuable our assets are, and how we can benefit from then and use them. They could have also did a look out for drug smugglers at the same time, so could Brac pilot always be doing.
This has clearly been an investment that while may not be a indispensable asset for crime fighting but has proven it’s worth the money as a medical rescue mechanism. It has saved lives. This is demonstrated again and again. When you spend millions on a program or equipment you need results. Take a lesson from this in regards to spending millions on CCTV drones guards etc from the Security Centre and getting very little value for money………take a lesson in the funds spent vetting personal and missing criminal charges pending……..take a lesson in investing in specialty dogs that are afraid of noises and run away and the people charged with the handling of them are not recognized as being incapable of doing so……..Take a lesson and stop wasting money and get results. The RCIP can provide Policing as they prove 1 or 2 times out of 10 that they can get it right. They need to model after those one or two times instead of the other right or nine.
It was not established as a “medical rescue mechanism”. If I give you public money to fight crime in George Town, 9:55, and you use the money to set up a company providing cheap heavy cakes to Rock Hole residents, is that ok?
No mention of the brain-transplant patients?
Good news story! Well done
Good work!!! It is comforting to know we have emergency help available.
I love this. Good Job to the AOPC. Giving Love all the way grom Cuba.
Great work by the helicopter! It shows just how valuable it is to the islands. However, CNS I have an addition to your story……The mother underwent an emergency c-section. During this she lost a tremendous amount of blood, even after the baby was born she continued having blood loss. At around 5:45pm a Cayman Express Twin Otter was enroute to the sister islands on a scheduled flight. Operations and management asked the crew to turn around, land and pick up emergency blood for the patient. The crew arrived back to the airport and when the blood had been delivered the flight departed. The blood made it to the Brac for the patient. However, after further complications it was decided to airlift the patient and baby to grand cayman. The pilots returned to the Brac to bring her after the scheduled flights. She arrived and was transported to the GT hospital. Credit should also be given to the pilots and staff at Cayman Express for bringing her safely to Grand.
Great teamwork, everyone.
Shows what an important contribution Healthy City makes to these islands!
I’m not sure who disliked this comment but you must be a very sad person to dislike having a facility like this on your doorstep and the lives they save week in week out is a blessing to all.