Cyprus & Air ambulance: The cost of air transport, collaborations and prospects

SigmaLive discussed the prospect of acquiring Cyprus air carriers for transporting patients to other Hospitals abroad, the cost of such a transfer, but also for the wider technological planning of the Ministry of Health, with the General Director of the Ministry, Christina Giannaki.

At the same time, Ms. Giannaki spoke about the cooperation that the Republic of Cyprus has with other countries for air ambulances, noting that from 2019 until May 25, 2022, the air transport of 277 patients was needed.

 

What is happening in Cyprus with the air carriers - air ambulance?

As far as we know in Cyprus at the moment there is no air transport company that can fully meet the needs of subsidized patients of the Ministry of Health.

The Subsidized Patients Department uses air ambulances for missions mainly in Israel, Greece and in a much smaller number in Germany.

In exceptional cases, where deemed necessary by the competent Specialist Committees, patients were sent by air ambulance to the United States, the United Kingdom, France, etc. The selection of the air ambulance company is made following a process of written offers from two or three companies.

 

The Ministry of Health cooperates mainly with 4 companies:

• Aviometic which serves ONLY the Scheba-Telashomer hospital in Israel,
• Orange Aviation - Israeli company serving all hospitals except Scheba - Telashomer,
• Greek Flyers - a Greek company that serves all hospitals except Scheba - Telashomer,
• Gamma Air - Greek company that serves all hospitals except Scheba - Telashomer.

The seriousness of the incident, the necessary equipment, the staffing with medical and nursing staff are elements necessary for the proper air transport.

The process of transporting patients abroad is difficult, as the time factor plays a very important role, so that it does not act to the detriment of patients' health. More specifically, it is necessary to carry out a procedure, which is crucial for the survival and / or development of patients' health, in suffocating schedules (inside and outside working hours).

What does the respective agreement of the Ministry provide, how much does it cost and if it is on an annual basis?

The procedures are performed directly by name for each patient and in collaboration with the ambulance service. The transfer usually takes place on the same day, regardless of weekends and holidays. The process outside working hours depends on who will respond and if there is immediate availability.

Each incident is unique. Experience to date has shown that the needs for both medical equipment and medical staff / flight attendants, as well as the height of the air ambulance flight differ for each incident. Sometimes, in the middle of the whole procedure, the flight is differentiated due to unforeseen events as well as based on the evolution of the patient's health.

Many times due to the urgency of the incident and if there is no possibility for prior approval, in order not to endanger human lives, the General Manager Dr. Christina Giannaki, after a telephone briefing, undertakes the process of air transport itself.

Is it possible for Cyprus to acquire its own air carriers and if there is the idea of ​​acquiring its own air carriers in the wider design and technological equipment of the Ministry of Health?

In order for Cyprus to acquire air transport, the issue must be examined and techno-economic studies must be carried out.

The cost of air transportation varies and depends on many factors such as distance, destination, fuel price, crew number, but also the medical condition / severity of the patient. E.g. € 6.000 - € 8.000 (Greece), € 15.000 - € 20.000 (Germany).

 

When is it necessary to transfer a patient abroad?

According to the Financial Assistance Plan, incidents that cannot be dealt with in the Republic of Cyprus (public and private sector), are sent abroad upon the recommendation of the Medical Council.

There are cases when the patient goes abroad due to his medical condition, by air. These are usually very serious, complex and dangerous incidents that usually require urgent / immediate transport. In many cases, dealing with such cases, such as pediatric heart surgery, is a matter of life and death and transportation to centers abroad is done on the same day. The main countries for sending patients by ambulance are Israel, Greece and Germany, and to a lesser extent England. , France etc.

Indicatively, how many air transportation cases do we have in Cyprus per year?

The number of incidents sent by air ambulance in recent years is shown in the table below.

There is an increase in incidents in 2020 and 2021 and this is due to the pandemic COVID-19.

 

YEAR	CASE NUMBER
2019	46
2020	109
2021	102
1/1/22 until today	20

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