Rega helped more than 11,500 patients in 2018
Swiss air rescue service Rega helped 11,579 patients last year, during which time it organised more than 17,000 missions for the first time in its history
Swiss air rescue service Rega helped 11,579 patients last year, during which time it organised more than 17,000 missions for the first time in its history. Such efforts are made possible by 3,483 million patrons (members) of Rega – an increase of 47,000 from 2017.
Rega’s operations centre organised a total of 17,124 missions in 2018, a 7.3-per-cent increase on 2017, which equates to around two jobs per hour, 24 hours a day. Especially in the summer months, the helicopter crews’ services were in great demand: 12,573 missions took place during summer 2018, which was the third warmest summer since measurements began in 1864. The increasing number of missions has resulted in Rega commissioning two new H145 helicopters in Bern and Basel. By the middle of this year, the organisation said, it will be replacing its fleet based at Mittelland with seven H145s.
Rega also operates fixed-wing air ambulance services, which were busier than ever last year with 980 flights taking place, an increase of just over 10 per cent on 2017. In total, 369 patients were also repatriated to Switzerland onboard a commercial flight with Rega medical staff.