Air Ambulance Victoria will today celebrate 60 years of pre-hospital care.
The AAV wing of Ambulance Victoria (AV) originated in 1962 and included one rotary wing aircraft and one fixed-wing plane.
Sixty years on and AAV’s has a fleet of four fixed-wing planes and five helicopters (HEMS) that provide a vital link between rural communities and metropolitan health services.
AV’s Manager of Air Operations Anthony de Wit said AAV is at the forefront of pre-hospital patient care in Australia, including in Sunbury and the Macedon Ranges.
“While it’s difficult to confirm the number of lives saved since 1962, over the past decade AAV has assisted more than 50,000 people throughout Victoria and our bordering communities,” he said.
“Our fixed-wing arm is the backbone of AAV and it cares for so many patients per year, really helping to connect regional and rural Victoria with the health services that metropolitan Melbourne has to offer.”
AAV flight paramedic educator Nicole Grant has been with the service for nearly 20 years and said her most memorable job was a transfer of an elderly palliative care patient from Melbourne back to country Victoria who hadn’t been on a plane before, and so was apprehensive.
“It was a beautiful morning for flying and she spent the entire trip with her nose glued to the window,” Ms Grant said.
“I remember the look of rapture on her face as she said it was the most magical experience she’d had.”
