TIO and CareFlight have
announced a partnership to support a life-saving community service in Darwin
today.
TIO will sponsor CareFlight’s
Darwin based Rescue Helicopter for a minimum of three years.
TIO Chief Executive Richard
Harding said the cost of road trauma in the Territory is more than triple the
national average and rapid response was key to survival and to minimise injury.
“Evidence shows the severity of
injury can be lessened by reducing the time it takes emergency medical services
to start treating injured people,” Mr Harding said.
“Rapid medical intervention,
particularly for people with internal, spinal or head injuries, can save lives
and reduce the risk of catastrophic and permanent impairment.
“CareFlight’s rapid response
capability supports TIO’s goal for personal injury management and improving
health outcomes.
“The work they do further
supports our understanding of the unique challenges created by great distance
and remoteness for communities in the Top End.”
Mr Harding said TIO already made
a significant investment in road safety awareness and behavioural change
programs and the new partnership would complement this work.
“We see this partnership as a
way to support the needs of Territorians which will ultimately deliver benefits
to the wider motor accidents compensation scheme,” Mr Harding said.
CareFlight Chief Executive
Officer Derek Colenbrander said TIO’s sponsorship of the rescue helicopter would
help meet the running costs of the rapid-response helicopter service which
forms part of the Top End Medical Retrieval Service which CareFlight operates
for the NT Health Department.
Mr Colenbrander said the
partnership will enable TIO and CareFlight to coordinate with the broader “road
trauma” sector to improve outcomes for people involved in motor vehicle crashes.
“The helicopter is an integral
component of our charity’s aeromedical service as it allows our flight nurses
and doctors to respond direct to motor vehicle crashes and other trauma
patients,” Mr Colenbrander said.
“Patients can be stabilised by
our medical team working with health clinic nurses and St John Ambulance
officers then given intensive care treatment as they are flown direct to Royal
Darwin Hospital.”
The helicopter will now be known
as the CareFlight TIO Rescue Helicopter.
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