Air ambulance centre opens in Tibet

An emergency air ambulance rescue centre for the use of civilians was opened in the remote Himalayan region of Tibet today, officials said.
The has two helicopter air ambulances which are equipped with breathing machine, defibrillator and other medical facilities and can carry a patient for up to 600 km, said Ma Jun, director of the centre which is affiliated with the Red Cross Society of Tibet.
The helicopters would be based in Tsechokling airport in the regional capital of Lhasa, and can take off in 25 minutes if needed, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The centre will provide services to seven prefectures and cities in the region, with only a 20-square metre spot needed for landing, Ma said.

According to Ma, the centre will have another helicopter equipped with a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, and an A505 passenger aircraft, which will help take critical patients around the world.
Liao Yidong, with the Red Cross Society of Tibet, said the air ambulances could take critical patients much faster in the plateau region.