DOHA: Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) yesterday announced that its air ambulance service, LifeFlight, has been reaccredited by the European Aeromedical Institute (EURAMI) for both adult and paediatric critical care.

The LifeFlight service provides emergency response medical care to patients in the country when speed is of the highest priority, or when incidents occur in the more remote areas of Qatar. First launched in 2007, the LifeFlight service has become an invaluable part of the ambulance service’s overall response mechanisms and currently responds to more than 2,000 emergencies a year.

Brendon Morris, Executive Director of HMC’s Ambulance Service, described the significance of the reaccreditation, which is the result of a successful partnership with the Qatar Emiri Air Force.  “On behalf of all the leadership at the Ambulance Service, I would like to congratulate everyone who contributes, on a daily basis, to the provision of high-quality care through our LifeFlight service. To be reaccredited by EURAMI, after initially receiving accreditation in 2015, is a wonderful independent endorsement of the quality of service we deliver,” said Morris.

“The operation of the LifeFlight service relies on our strong partnership with the Qatar Emiri Air Force, whose skilled pilots work hand-in-hand with our medical teams to ensure this life-saving service runs 24-hours a day, 365 days a year,” added Morris.

EURAMI is considered a world leader in aeromedical accreditation and only recognises air ambulance services with the very highest medical protocols and aviation records.

HMC’s LifeFlight service has undergone enormous growth since first launching more than ten years ago. “In the early years of operation, our LifeFlight service was operational only during daylight hours, but in 2011 we expanded the hours of operation to 24 hours a day,” stated Ali Darwish, Assistant Executive Director of the Ambulance Service.  EURAMI accreditation is just one of a number of prestigious accreditations held by the Ambulance Service.