Flight doctor completes 100th mission on emergency flight to Sudan
On a mission to Sudan, a South African flight doctor traversed the continent onboard a Netcare 911 Falcon 50, crossing the airspace of six countries and covering approximately 4,660 kilometers
Dr Nadia Swart, flight doctor with the Netcare 911 fixed-wing division, recently undertook her 100th mission, just 36 months after she qualified as a flight doctor. “This particular mission involved a patient in Khartoum suffering from an acute bowel obstruction and requiring highly specialized care. It was our duty to ensure that he made it safely to South Africa as quickly as possible to undergo the lifesaving procedure,” she says.
Meticulous co-ordination of medical and aviation factors
“Planning an emergency flight such as this one requires the meticulous co-ordination of multiple elements. The added complexities of Covid-19 protocols mean there are many more boxes to check before taking to the air. Clearances must be obtained from several South African national government departments, as well as from the airport at which you are going to land and each of the countries whose airspace you will be travelling through. This can take one or two days to arrange.
“Furthermore, due to the duration of this long-haul mission, we had limited ground time available in order to comply with the legal flight and duty limitations for the crew. We therefore had to make a direct turn-around, with the patient being brought to us at the airport,” explains Dr Swart.
Aeromedical team dynamic key to success
However, Dr Swart says that the dynamic between the team in a fixed-wing environment is the cornerstone of any successful mission. “The energy between the doctor, the paramedic and the pilots is ultimately the most important element of the journey. When you are in the air you need to be able to depend upon one another. While you can make a call to ground services for telephonic assistance, you are the only ones attending to the patient. We therefore rely heavily on cohesive teamwork and that is what can make or break a successful mission,” she said.
Shalen Ramduth, Operations Director of Netcare 911, praised Dr Swart and the team for completing the mission so seamlessly. “We commend Dr Swart on her 100th mission and we thank her and the rest of the flight team for their level of professionalism and commitment to best and safest patient care. Netcare 911 is honored to be able to provide such a world class service to the African continent and surrounding islands,” he concluded.