Swiss Air Rescue Service Rega is extending its cooperation with the health department of the Swiss canton of St Gallen by introducing a formalised performance mandate. The aim of the agreement is to provide the population with air rescue services in the event of emergencies, and it includes all air rescue operations and all urgent transfer flights to and from cantonal hospitals.

The long-term service agreement continues what has been practised in the region for decades: Rega operates a helicopter base in St Gallen and thus ensures air rescue in the canton around the clock, 365 days a year. The agreement also stipulates that all air rescue devices are coordinated by Rega's operations centre, which ensures that the next and best air rescue device is always used. This agreement does not incur any costs for St Gallen; Rega provides its services as part of its foundation mandate.

The regional president and head of the health department of the canton Heidi Hanselmann says: “With this service agreement, we continue to ensure our population a pragmatic, medically high quality, operationally safe and economically efficient air rescue.”

In 1981, Rega stationed a helicopter at the St Gallen Children's Hospital for the first time and in 1984 the current operational base was built in Winkeln, near Gossau. In the canton the rescue helicopters perform around 2,900 air rescue flights per year and transport almost 1,000 patients for further treatment after emergencies to the cantonal hospital in St Gallen. Rega is also firmly anchored in the population: more than 230,000 people, almost half of the inhabitants of the canton, support Rega through annual donations.