>>>>>> Marianne & Becca (right) with the HIOWWA crew <<<<<<
HIOWAA is Rapid's chosen charity for 2018, and we are fundraising throughout the year to raise money for this very valuable service. We have been very lucky to be invited to HIOWAA air base at Thurxton to learn first-hand about the charity and the work they do.
It costs approximately £9,000 a day to keep the Air Ambulance flying and saving lives. They fly 365 days a year, on average three times a day, however it can be as many as eight. Without any government funding, they rely solely on donations from the public.
The critical care teams have received advanced training to be able to carry out more in-depth lifesaving actions than the regular ambulance service. The medical equipment they carry on board is also more advanced than the regular ambulance service, with a doctor present on 97% of flights.
HIOWAA recently had an extension of the service that they are able provide to the sick and injured of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight with the arrival of the Critical Care Team Vehicle. This is crewed by a team of HIOWAA doctors and paramedics and has parallel capability to the Air Ambulance. The Vehicle provides the same enhanced care as that delivered by the Helicopter, but now able to get to the more difficult to reach urban areas.
>>>>>>>> Marianne checks out the on-board equipment <<<<<<<
During our visit we were able to visit the training facilities used by the critical care team; the immersive simulation suite uses multiple projectors and speakers which allows realistic incident scenes to be produced at the base. The extensive options range from being at the side of a busy road, in the middle of a nightclub, to a lakeside path, therefore giving the team a chance to experience situations they may encounter whilst carrying out their life saving roles. Training is carried out on life-like dummies with simulated patient monitors, which produce realistic information and training for continual training, experience and improvement. Regular training helps existing staff to stay sharp and to practice normally infrequently performed procedures such as open chest surgery.
>>>>>>>> Marianne experienced some hands-on training <<<<<<<
We would like to say a huge thank you to the team, they do a truly amazing job and it was a privilege to learn first-hand about the charity and the work they do.
HIOWWA is also Rapid's 2018 charity and we are fundraising all year round. If you wish to support us, we have set up a Just Giving page for anyone who wishes to donate and help us reach our target of £2,500 > Just Giving.
Leave a Comment