Ministers Kotromanović and Ostojić signed the Agreement on the implementation of emergency medical air transportation

In a media statement, Minister of Health thanked the Ministry of Defence for the support in emergency medical flights, adding that in this way we provided emergency medical care not only for citizens of Croatia, but also for 11 million foreign tourists in Croatia each year. He also said that the novelty of this Agreement in relation to the former was in the fact that this agreement relates to cooperation between the two ministries in this area throughout the whole year and not only on the summer tourist season, or the quarterly period for which the agreements were signed earlier. “The Ministry of Health will provide for every emergency medical flight medical team that would consist of a doctor, technician and nurse. This means that the doctor who received the patient will not, as was the case until now, have to leave his workplace, for example on the island. The patient in this case will receive medical team in the helicopter with another doctor who will accompany him during the flight to the hospital for instance in Split, Zagreb or any other hospital”, Minister Ostojić said. He added that further training in aerospace medicine and for flights in special conditions would be provided to the medical staff. Finally, the Minister of Health once again thanked the Ministry of Defence for the support in the emergency medical flights, stressing that in this way we saved thousands of lives as well as provide transportation of organs for transplantation.

Defence Minister Ante Kotromanović stressed that the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces would continue to assist with the helicopter crews in providing emergency medical air transportation. As an example, he mentioned that in the last three years 4000 people were transported by emergency medical flights. “We will continue to provide this support to our healthcare system and civilian institutions, as this is a daily need, which confirms that this year so far we have realized 217 medical flights, where 70 patients and 136 other medical staff were transported”, Kotromanović said.

Emergency medical flights are conducted at the request of the competent institutions across the 112 Center of the National Protection and Rescue Directorate. Medical transport of ill and injured people have been conducted by crews of the 91^st and 93^rd Air Force Base using Mi-8 MTV, Mi-17 1 VA and Mi-171 Sh transport helicopters.

In the last three years, 2009-2011, 3425 emergency medical flights have been conducted, transporting 1229 patients and 2730 escort and medical staff.