The National Fire Agency said on the 23rd that it protected a precious life by activating a nationwide integrated dispatch system for fire helicopters.
According to the National Fire Agency, at about 8:18 a.m. on the 20th, a report came in from Wansan District, Jeonju, North Jeolla, that a pregnant woman at 25 weeks was feeling preterm labor. The woman had a history of cervical cerclage (tying the opening of the uterus with thread to prevent preterm birth). Once preterm labor begins, it is a dangerous condition that can lead to damage and rupture.
Paramedics arrived on scene, checked the woman's condition, and asked the North Jeolla emergency medical control center to select a hospital. The center expanded the search beyond nearby hospitals to the greater Seoul area and checked 14 hospitals in total for capacity. Gachon University Gil Medical Center said it could take her.
North Jeolla Fire Helicopter No. 1 flew the pregnant woman 360 km to the hospital. The mother is currently resting and receiving treatment.
The integrated fire helicopter dispatch also saved a patient on the 18th. In Yeongwol County, Gangwon, a 13-year-old patient needed an emergency transfer due to intra-abdominal bleeding. But at the time, it was difficult on scene to secure medical staff to accompany the helicopter during transport.
The National Fire Agency's helicopter control center urgently checked with Ajou University Hospital in Suwon, Gyeonggi, which could receive the patient, to see if medical staff could board the helicopter. Upon receiving confirmation, it immediately deployed Gyeonggi Fire Helicopter No. 2, took on Ajou University Hospital medical staff, and headed to the scene in Yeongwol County, Gangwon.
The National Fire Agency said that by deploying Gyeonggi Fire Helicopter No. 2, it shortened the flight distance by 82 km and the transfer time by about 19 minutes, compared with sending the jurisdictional air unit to pick up the medical staff and then return to the scene.
Since this year, the National Fire Agency has operated nationwide an integrated fire helicopter dispatch system that sends the closest and most suitable helicopter for the mission from the accident location, regardless of jurisdiction.
Kim Seung-ryong, commissioner of the National Fire Agency, said, "We will continue to improve the efficiency of the emergency medical system and further strengthen the safety net so that people can receive equitable and swift aeromedical services anywhere nationwide."