RRT helps Royal Flying Doctor Service stay in the air in remote WA

As beautiful as it is, one of the harsh realities of living in the remote corners of Western Australia is the huge distances which patients must travel in order to get medical treatment.

The people of Western Australia rightly welcomed the Royal Flying Doctor Service’s (RFDS) new Fortescue Heli-Med Service, a patient transfer service introduced in 2022, which will give them access to hospital-to-hospital transfers, providing life-saving assistance in regional locations.  On certain flights, mainly due to weather, the rotary team need to refuel en route before arriving at the patient retrieval location.

With the help of generous donors, RRT has donated three large fuel bunds which will be strategically located at select Western Australian airfields to help the choppers make their long journeys across the state.

The donation of fuel bunds from RRT – which each hold 800 litres of aviation fuel – will allow the Fortescue Heli-Med Service to carry the additional fuel reserves they require on windy days, to fly to Katanning, Cunderdin and Dalwallinu and onto Perth tertiary hospitals.

The donation was officially made in Cunderdin this month.

“The mission of the Royal Flying Doctor Service is ‘the furthest corner, the finest care’, but when you are talking about a state the size of Western Europe, that bold mission can be challenging,” said RRT WA Regional Team Leader Alex Sharpe.

“The RFDS are heroes of our remote communities, and we will continue to look at new ways to help address their needs,” said Mr Sharpe.

“These new fuel supplies will ensure the RFDS can reliably provide this rapid transfer service to those in need,” Mr Sharpe said.

“RRT strives to support frontline champions and is always seeking opportunities to address community needs, avidly living one of our core values: compassion in action.

“We are very proud to be able to do our bit to support the RFDS medical and support staff – and helping them deliver critical services to the regional and remote communities of WA.”