Air ambulance chopper dream gets off ground
Derek Rowe brought a Eurocopter EC135 chopper to South Aer flying club in Cork to demonstrate its capabilities to ambulance and fire crews from all over Munster.
Mr Rowe said he wants to use this type of chopper for a community-funded nationwide air ambulance service.
“This is all about saving lives,” he said.
While the Aer Corps does provide an air ambulance service when needed, Ireland is the only country in the EU without a dedicated air ambulance service.
Mr Rowe plans to lease a similar aircraft and base it at Cork Airport to serve Munster, and then expand operations to Knock, Donegal and Shannon.
While he is hopeful of securing EU funding to run the estimated €2 million-a-year service, most money will come from public donations. It is based on the 20-year-old community-funded Cornish air ambulance service — one of Britain’s most successful.
Mr Rowe was inspired to develop an Irish service after the death of a close friend in a road accident.
“The sooner money is raised, the sooner lives can be saved,” he said.
He is in the process of securing charitable status for his organisation, Irish Air Ambulance, before launching a nationwide lottery.
The choppers, staffed by a pilot and two paramedics, will be on standby to respond to major accidents.
Dr Stephen Cusack, the director of CUH’s emergency department, said it is a worthy project.
“I think it’s something that Munster could do with. The demographics are the sort that would benefit from the added service,” he said.
But, he said, in terms of public expenditure, providing such a service is not a priority, and is not perceived as such by the Government.
There are 20 air ambulance services in Britain — 14 of which are community funded.
* Donations can be sent to: Irish Air Ambulance, Derry’s Cottage, Derryvrin, Abbeydorney, Co Kerry.
