Operational implementation and lessons learned from Haiti's first helicopter air ambulance.

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Public Health
• Aeromedical Transport

Background:

• Critical-care helicopter transport significantly improves patient outcomes but is often inaccessible in developing countries due to high costs.
• Haiti Air Ambulance (HAA) established the first publicly available helicopter ambulance service in a developing nation, adopting U.S. aviation and aeromedical care standards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail the implementation of HAA, including the development of regulatory standards and operational protocols.
• To report on the initial utilization, patient demographics, and clinical interventions during HAA's first year of operation.

Main Methods:

• Collaborated with Haiti's Ministry of Health to establish national standards for aeromedical programs, covering medical procedures, medications, and staff training.
• Developed and refined patient selection criteria to align with clinical needs and maintain U.S. standards of care.
• Collected data on patient transfers, including indications, origins, and interventions performed.

Main Results:

• Transferred 76 patients in the first year, including 13 children and 3 pregnant women.
• Common indications included traumatic injuries and interfacility transfers; 54% of transfers originated from six specific hospitals.
• The service faced limitations due to weather, lack of reporting, and inability to conduct night flights.

Conclusions:

• HAA successfully implemented a critical-care helicopter transport service in Haiti, adapting international standards to a developing country context.
• The program demonstrated the feasibility of aeromedical services in resource-limited settings, despite operational challenges.
• Future plans include enhancing the pre-hospital system with expanded capabilities, in partnership with governmental and non-governmental organizations.