Papua New Guinea-based rotary operator Manolos Aviation has welcomed a new medevac-configured aircraft to its fleet.

Registered as P2-KID, the new Bell 222 comes installed with a patient stretcher and clinical seat. This dedicated emergency medical interior provides ample room for pre-hospital patient care. Its cabin volume allows direct 360 degree access to patients in the event of emergencies, such as the need for resuscitations.

CEO Jurgen Ruh flew the helicopter from Tasmania to Cairns in Australia, and then from Cairns to Lae at the Manolos Heliport on Thursday, 10 November. He says: "The helicopter fulfils my vision of having a dedicated aircraft for medical evacuations only. It has a stretcher where you can rotate out of the helicopter cabin, strap in patients and easily push back in. The clinical or nurse seat can swivel and slide, giving the nurse more access to the patient in flight. The interior also has two extra seats for guardians or health workers who escort their patient to the hospital, and it has enough room for our portable medical equipment like oxygen cylinders, bags with medical supplies and much more.”

This is the second helicopter for the Mountain Area Medical Airlift Foundation (MAMAFL), the first being P2-DAD, which was also flown in from Australia on 23 May this year.

MAMAFL is a not for profit organisation established in September 2020 to manage helicopter medical evacuation services. In 2021 alone, a total of 111 medical evacuations were performed across Papua New Guinea.

Ruh thanked Trukai Industries for renewing its $28,500 sponsorship of MAMAFL in October this year: “It allowed for the medevac-configuration to happen while the helicopter was still in Australia.”