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The survival rate of road accident victims will be further enhanced as a result of a new roadside rescue service to be introduced jointly by the Government Flying Service, the Fire Services Department and the Hong Kong Police Force.

Statistics show that many of the serious road accidents happen on highways, where rescues are often complicated by the chaos and obstructions caused by the accident. Secondary accidents on the opposite carriageway are also frequent, which could block the alternate access of the ambulance crew and prolong the transferral to hospital.

The time of arrival by the rescue crew is crucial. Typically, trauma systems aim to deliver a critically-injured patient to the operating theatre within one hour of the accident - the so-called 'golden hour'.

The new roadside rescue service can provide rapid transport to hospital even under adverse traffic conditions as no part of Hong Kong's highway system is more than 10 minutes flying time from a suitable hospital.

Aeromedical services can also be administered on board by a medical team drawn from the auxiliary medical and nursing staff of the Government Flying Service.

The new service to be launched on July 1 will be for a one-year trial responding to road accidents on specific sections of the major highways. The Fire Services Communication Centre will be responsible for tasking the service.

Upon receiving an alert, the Police will clear the road ahead of the accident scene to facilitate landing by the helicopter and transferral of the casualties to the nearest one of the three hospitals - Prince of Wales, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern and Tuen Mun - which have dedicated helipads.

The service will be undertaken by a specially-equipped Eurocopter EC155B1 aircraft, which carries a self-contained medical panel serving as a miniature intensive care unit. The panel, fitted with machines to monitor the casualty's pulse, blood pressure, heart tracing and blood oxygen level, can carry a patient stretcher on its base. It also has life support equipment including a lung ventilator and a cardiac defibrillator.

A joint exercise which involved a simulated traffic accident was organised this (June 29) morning on the west bound lanes of the Fanling Highway to familiarise operational personnel with the inter-departmental procedures.

The drill was observed by the chairman of Legislative Council's Panel on Transport, Mrs Miriam Lau, the acting Director of Fire Services, Mr Kwok Jing-keung and the Controller of Government Flying Service, Captain Brian Butt.

End/Sunday, June 29, 2003

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