Our children are precious, we love, care and protect them. Parents will do everything possible to keep their children free from harm. However, sickness and injury can befall the offspring of even the most diligent of parents. That is the point at which parents seek professional help, from those with specialist medical skills and knowledge to cure and heal their precious children.

All to often, due to trauma or serious illness, a child will require hospitalization. This may be as a result of an accident, or sickness. The numbers of children requiring inpatient care are alarming. There are no reliable, global figures on this, however, in the United States alone, in 2020 3.1 million children required hospitalization. This was immediately prior to the Covid pandemic which increased the numbers exponentially. 

For the parent, when a child is sick or injured, very often there the emotions can be overwhelming and discombobulating. Although, the emotional turbulence often levels off and becomes more rational once the child is in the care of the medical professionals. A hospital is a safe sanctuary of curing and healing that brings a degree of relief to worried parents.

All of this of course is true. With a parent’s basic instinct being to get their sick or injured child to medical sanctuary, there comes the issue of transportation. From the moment of trauma, or the realization of serious sickness, time becomes critical. It is at this point that accessing skilled medical expertise becomes paramount.

There is no greater acknowledgment of this than that exhibited by Samitivej Hospital. The internationally trained professionals at Samitivej Hospital understand the importance of infant and pediatric critical care transportation. It is through that understanding that the hospital has created a specialized transportation system aimed at administering and maintaining critical care for the young.

Emergency Ambulances

When thinking of medical emergencies, the first form of transportation that comes to mind is the emergency ambulance. Samitivej Hospital maintains a fleet of modern ambulances which are fully equipped with modern medical appliances, ready to tackle and treat any emergency. However, for the young, they go one step further. 

Pediatric patients requiring emergency medical care have their very own ground transport. That is, “Speedy Bear”. This is an emergency ambulance equipped to deal with pediatric patients and is staffed with professionals skilled at treating the young. And, uniquely, Speedy Bear is decked out in bright colours and appears as warm, friendly cartoon character. When a young child is confronted by a friendly looking teddy bear, worry, stress and mental trauma subsides considerably, which is invaluable when caring for young patients.

Helicopter Ambulance

Helicopters are uniquely suited to the rapid evacuation of young patients that require emergency care. There are many occurrences where access to a patient is problematic by other, perhaps more conventional, means. Helicopters are fast and direct, transporting patients from A to B with no other transport issues causing hold-up or hindrance.

However, with their unique advantages, comes some unique disadvantages. Helicopters are very noisy, which can be extremely traumatic for very young patients. The excessive noise volume also precludes being able to use some conventional medical equipment.

However, Samitivej Hospital’s helicopter ambulance has overcome these issues. The specialist teams treating young patients, whilst utilizing helicopter transport, are provided with a highly trained medical professional whose specific skills are that of aviation medicine, a Flight Nurse. The knowledge and skills that these individuals have is invaluable.

The noise level inside a helicopter can be considerable, up to as much as 96 decibels. A Samitivej Hospital Flight Nurse will fit a young patient with appropriate ear defenders, whilst also giving reassurance and comfort. 

As a result of the noise levels, the specialized equipment on board has been modified or, in some cases, specifically designed to render the excessive noise ineffectual to their proper functioning. Vitaly, the design and modifications to the medical equipment also ensure that there is no interference with the helicopter’s navigational instruments.

The Samitivej Hospital Helicopter ambulance is able to operate within a 250-kilometer radius of Bangkok, giving it enormous reach. But of course, there are circumstances where an air ambulance service is required further afield. For this, Samitivej Hospital has also got the air ambulance service covered. 

Thailand is quite a big country. The distance from North to South is 1,648 km, and from East to West 780 km. To service the provinces all across the kingdom Samitivej Hospital operate fixed wing air ambulances. Not only do these modern airplanes connect the entire country, but also operate internationally across borders to neighboring countries. And, with emergency ground ambulances for the connections, Samitivej Hospital have the entire nation covered. 

Medical Escorts

It is fair to say that no two patients are the same and medical conditions are multitudinal. It may be that a patient is ambulatory whilst still requiring monitoring by a medical specialist. In such cases, Samitivej Hospital will assign a medical escort to ensure the safe transportation of a patient from one place to another. 

Bedside-to-Bedside Transportation

Medically safe and secure bedside-to-bedside transportation is the overriding rule for Samitivej Hospital’s infant and pediatric critical care transportation system. The system is all encompassing and seamless, tried and tested with nothing left to chance.

Samitivej Hospital quite literally ensure the entire service from bedside-to-bedside. Fixed wing air ambulances that cover the nation and beyond it’s borders are met with emergency ground ambulances for the connection to the appropriate medical facility. More locally, helicopter ambulances transport patients directly from A to B.

Paperwork and medical clearances may be required, Samitivej Hospital has it covered. It may be that some patients have the need for very specialized medical skills and equipment, Samitivej Hospital has it covered. The coordinating of a handover to a receiving facility and to the relevant medical specialists, is of vital importance, and Samitivej Hospital has it covered. 

Obviously, the paramount objective of Samitivej Hospital’s bedside-to-bedside transportation service is that of patient care. However, when dealing with young, probably frightened and stressed patients, this ultimate level of service has peripheral valuable. Patients remain calmer and less stressed, whilst parents experience a reduced level of worry and anxiety.