The minimum possible cost of a short air ambulance journey is usually $10,000 (N2 million) according to Air Ambulance Weekly.  However, some short air ambulance journeys can cost up to $50,000. In the West, these fees are usually paid by insurers or assistance companies. However, in Nigeria a recent survey by NOI Polls Limited revealed that only 20% of Nigerians have access to health insurance.  Only a tiny fraction of this privileged 20% has access to medical air transport/air ambulance services.

 

The Emergency Transport Unit Service (ETU) is changing that forever! The ETU service has brought air ambulance level care at road ambulance level prices to Nigeria through innovation. The ETU is a removable medical cabin built into a commercial flight which conveys our patients around Nigeria and West Africa and at as little as 10% of the price of a full air ambulance for the first time EVER. This is an exciting advance that will save thousands of lives across Nigeria and West Africa.

 

Air Ambulances play an essential role in the emergency care of people all over the world, saving of lives every day with efficiency. Air Ambulances are even more important in Nigeria and across Africa for the following reasons:

 

Rural Areas: There are often large distances between rural and urban areas making rapid transport indispensable when it comes to saving lives

 

Tertiary centres:  In the developed world the nearest specialist medical centre maybe in the next county.  In Africa, it may be in another country. Therefore, getting to a specialist is far easier and efficient by air

 

Road Infrastructure:  Only 1 in 3 rural Africans has access to an all-season road according to the African Development Bank Group.  The existing road infrastructure is poor & often dangerous. Road traffic crashes are the third leading cause of death (after malaria and HIV/AIDS) and present a major public health concern. The air ambulances therefore help circumvent seasonal, hazardous roads by providing an all season, safe alternative.

 

Public Emergency Services: Public Emergency services are a norm in all developed countries. These services operate efficiently, often part-funded by government.  In Nigeria today, widespread government funded emergency services are not optimal.  Therefore, victims of medical emergencies remain stranded for longer and deteriorate, creating a greater number of patients that need specialist care.

 

Remote Workers: Natural resources are the bedrock of Africa’s economy . In 2012, mining, oil and gas accounted for 28% of the continent’s GDP.  Therefore, Africa has a high percentage of workers in remote/offshore and other high risk environments. 

 

Doctor to patient ratios: The doctor patient ratios in the developed world are as high as 32 per 10000, in parts of Africa it can be as low as 4 per 10000.  Specialist doctors are few and spread sparsely. Rapid transport is essential to ensure that these doctors can be reached.

 

Unrest/Violent Crime: Violent incidents involving criminals, terrorists or anti-government groups have the potential to affect all travellers and residents, even when the violence is targeted at others.  In a few parts of Africa, there is prevalent unrest and violent crime affecting hundreds of people. Therefore, increasing the number of people with injuries from violent crime who need to be transported with air ambulance level care to the closest specialist medical facility.

 

Geography creates a huge obstacle to effective patient transport. Geography dictates whether people live or die. In Africa, geography is often destiny. The ETU service is positioned to provide an essential service to thousands of patients across West Africa.

 

To learn more about the ETU, log onto the ETU website at: etumedevac.com