Manolos Aviation adds a Bell 222 to its fleet
Papua New Guinea-based rotary operator welcomes the medevac-configured aircraft
Registered as P2-KID, the new Bell 222 has been added to the fleet of Manolos Aviation in Papua New Guinea.
The helicopter is medevac-configured and comes with a patient stretcher and clinical seat installed. The dedicated emergency medical interior has room for pre-hospital care, with its cabin volume allowing for direct 360° access to patients in the event of an emergency, such as for resuscitations.
Jurgen Ruh, CEO of Manolos Aviation, flew the helicopter from Tasmania to Cairns in Australia, then from Cairns to the Manolos Heliport in Lae, Papua New Guinea, on 10 November.
He said: "The helicopter fulfils my vision of having a dedicated aircraft for medical evacuations only. It has a stretcher where you can rotate out of the helicopter cabin, strap in patients and easily push back in. The clinical or nurse seat can swivel and slide, giving the nurse more access to the patient in flight.
“The interior also has two extra seats for guardians or health workers who escort their patient to the hospital, and it has enough room for our portable medical equipment like oxygen cylinders, bags with medical supplies and much more.”
This is the second helicopter that will be used by the Mountain Area Medical Airlift Foundation (MAMAFL). The first arriving also from Australia in May this year.
MAMAFL is a not-for-profit organisation established in September 2020 to manage helicopter medical evacuation services. In 2021, 111 medical evacuations were performed across Papua New Guinea.