Akhenaten
Heretic Pharaoh
Which reminds me . . .
The RFDS began as the dream of the Rev John Flynn, a minister with the Presbyterian Church. He witnessed the daily struggle of pioneers living in remote areas where just two doctors provided the only medical care for an area of almost 2 million square kilometres.
Flynn’s vision was to provide a ‘mantle of safety’ for these people.
Reverend Flynn appears on the lobbie
History
A Victorian, Lieutenant Clifford Peel, had heard Flynn's public speeches, and on being shipped out to France for World War I in 1917, sent Flynn a letter explaining how he had seen a missionary doctor visiting isolated patients utilising a plane. Assisted by costing estimates by Peel, Flynn immediately took the idea of using aircraft to incept his idea, and published Peel's idea in the church's newsletter.
Sadly Peel died in combat in 1918, probably not even knowing the impact he had in the creation of an Australian icon.
Along with motorised flight, another new technology was being developed that could replace the complicated means of communication by telegraph. Together with Alfred Traeger, Flynn began experiments with radio in the mid 1920s to enable remote outposts to contact a centralised medical base. The pedal radio was the first result of this collaboration. These were distributed gradually to stations, missions and other human residences around Cloncurry, the base site for a 50-watt transmitter.
The Pedal Radio
By 1928, Flynn had gathered sufficient funds through fundraising activities and on 15 May 1928, his dream had become a reality with the opening of the Austrailan Inland Mission Aerial Medical Service in Cloncurry, Queensland
Its supporters included industrialist HV McKay, medical doctor George Simpson, and Hudson Fysh, one of the founders of Queensland and Northern Territory Air Service, the company which would go on to become Qantas. Qantas supplied the first aircraft to the fledgling organisation, a De Havilland DH.50, dubbed "Victory".
On 17 May, two days after inception, the service's first official flight departed from Cloncurry, 85 miles to Julia Creek in Central Queensland, where the plane was met by over 100 people at the airstrip. Qantas charged two shillings per mile for use of the Victory during the first year of the project.
In 1934 bases were set up in Wyndham, Port Hedland, Kalgoorlie, Broken Hill, Alice Springs and Meekatharra. The Queensland experiment was expanded with two additional bases opening in Charters Towers and Charleville. An official Federal Council for the organisation was formed in 1936. In 1942 it was again renamed to Flying Doctor Service, with Royal being bestowed upon the service in 1955.
Everywhere is an arfield for the Flyin' Doc
Current Services
The RFDS now provides aero-medical transportation and health care to people who live, travel or work in rural and remote Australian communities beyond the normal medical infrastructure which is available to most of the population.
The Australian Government has funded the RFDS for over 75 years, covering the recurrent and capital costs of RFDS traditional services (aero-medical evacuations, primary and community health care clinics, remote consultations and medical chests). The State and Northern Territory governments fund the RFDS to undertake the transfer of patients between hospitals.
The main features of the RFDS traditional services are:
A 24 hour Emergency Service
The provision of aero-medical emergency evacuation services to victims of illness or accident who are in a serious or potentially life threatening condition and who are beyond the normal medical infrastructure.
Primary and Community Health Care Clinics at Remote Sites
Regular clinics at isolated sites conducted by doctors and/or flight nurses. Services include routine health checks and advice, immunisation, child health care and other primary and community health services.
Remote Consultations
Doctor and nurse consultation by telephone, or radio, with people at remote locations.
Medical Chests
The provision of over 2,400 medical chests containing an extensive range of pharmaceutical and medical supplies. These are located in isolated locations such as pastoral properties, Indigenous communities, out-stations, remote mining sites and lighthouses.
Aircraft
As of October 2007 the aeromedical evacuation aircraft used are either the Pilatus PC-12 or the Beechcraft King Air 200 series. The internal configuration of these two aircraft varies in the different RFDS sections. Typically they are configured with two rear-facing seats which look onto two stretchers. In some aircraft, one stretcher can be removed quickly and two seats slipped into place instead.
Both the PC-12 and King Air are pressurised and so can be used to safely transport patients who would not otherwise tolerate the decreased atmospheric pressures involved in non-pressurised aircraft. By flying at a lower altitude than usual, the internal cabin pressure can be maintained throughout the flight at sea level. This is important for patients critically sensitive to pressure changes.
In addition, pressurised aircraft can fly at a sufficiently high altitude in order to be above turbulent weather conditions. This is of great benefit in providing an environment safe for the patient and staff, and also limits complications of aeromedical transport such as motion sickness and exacerbation of injuries such as unstable fractures.
In October 2009 the standardisation on pressurised aircraft ended when two Cessna 208B Grand Caravans joined the fleet.
The plane, Boss, the plane!
As of December 2009 the RFDS fleet numbers 60 aircraft
29 Beechcraft B200 King Air
5 Beechcraft B200C King Air
2 Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
24 Pilatus PC-12
The South Eastern Section operates 18 King Airs, the Queensland Section 11 King Airs, three PC-12s and the two Caravans, Western Operations ten PC-12s and five King Airs, while Central Operations has a PC-12 fleet numbering 11 aircraft.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia
Australian Government - Department of Health and Aging
Wikipedia
Need something done? Call an Australian
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Just kidding, we walk together most days - have just moved into a new place and we have 100 acres of parkland out the back (developed for sports etc, dog playground, walking track etc) as well as an RSL - very handy. The dogs and kids love it -it is literally over the back fence. Where else but Australia?
