Kansai Regional Union explores night-time HEMS

Japan’s Kansai Regional Union – a confederation of eight prefectures in the country’s Chugoku and Shikoku regions – is looking to establish night flying operations for air ambulances across the region.

A medical cooperation plan, which included studies on the possibility of night-time helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS), was presented to the Union’s central committee at a meeting in Tokusima City on 24 May.

The plan – presented by Tokushima Governor Masazumi Gotoda – also included proposals to better support the activities of the Disaster Psychiatric Assistance Teams (DPAT) and the Disaster Health Emergency Assistance Teams – who would provide psychiatric care in the aftermath of a major disaster and provide medical assistance post-disaster, respectively.

An interim plan based on the recommendations is due to be presented to the committee in November of this year.

The Kansai Regional Union also facilitated a new agreement for Kagawa Prefecture to join an existing mutual HEMS support partnership between the governments of Ehime, Kochi, and Tokushima Prefectures earlier this year.