Before, flights were only able to land during daylight, which meant any nighttime emergencies had to be flown to the airport and then driven to the hospital.

The direct access to the helipad after dark will reduce the time it takes to get patients to the hospital via air ambulance.

Dr Lee Weiss, Medical Director and Chairman of MMMC’s Emergency Department, said: “Solving the problem of nighttime helicopter landings at MMMC is a real game changer. As MMMC becomes a more sophisticated tertiary care center, we will increasingly rely on helicopter transfers from Lana’i and other parts of Maui 24/7, 365 days a year. This is our mission. Our patients are depending on us and we cannot fail.”

Speedy Bailey, Global Medical Response’s Regional Director in Hawaii, added: “The opening of the Maui Memorial helipad for night Medevac missions is great news for the Maui County patients we serve. It also benefits critical patient transfers from the Big Island via Air Medical Services based in Kona. Both its helicopters utilize night vision goggles, that add to night flight safety.”