The Royal Flying Doctors Service

The Royal Flying Doctors Service

The Royal Flying Doctor service of Australia is a non-profit organization, which ensures medical treatment to remote areas of Australia where there are insufficient medical facilities. The RFDS does this by providing an ‘air ambulance service’. The service works around the clock and gives free medical assistance both in an emergency and in the general health care. The RFDS is the largest and oldest airborne health service in the world.

"[The Royal Flying Doctors Service of Australia is the] greatest single contribution to the effective settlement of the far distant back country that we have witnessed in our time." Sir Robert Menzies, Australian politician and was the 12^th Prime Minister of Australia.

The RFDS was founded in 1928 as an experiment known as the Aerial Medical Service by Reverend Dr John Flynn. John Flynn lived from 1880-1951. He was a Presbyterian minister, who was in charge of the ‘Australian Inland Mission’, an organization which tried to bring health care and church services into remote areas.

[deleted image] - You may already recognize the RFDS's founder, Reverend Dr John Flynn, on the Australian $20 note

The idea originally came when Victorian Lieutenant Clifford Peel contacted Flynn after hearing many of his public speeches explaining how he had seen a missionary doctor visiting his patients by using a plane. Flynn spent many years gathering the sufficient funds to eventually launch the experiment of the AMS on the 15 May, 1928. Qantas supplied the organization’s first aircraft, a De Havilland DH.50 named ‘Victory’. Within the first year, the service flew approximately 37,000 kilometres in 50 flights, becoming the first comprehensive air ambulance service of its kind in the world.

In the first few years, the RFDS had many difficulties, especially having to deal with the Great Depression shortly after the operation started. During the first few decades the service was forced to rely on donations, community fundraising and volunteer support.

[deleted image] - An RFDS Beechcraft Super King Air

Pretty soon, the RFDS provided not only emergency medical aid to the people of remote areas, but also comprehensive community service and health care.

The RFDS was not only an aerial service. It played a much larger role in the Australian outback. Other services of the RFDS include conducting general health clinics, the transfer of patients to larger city hospitals, advice from doctors and nurses over the radio and proving medical assistance to people traveling in the outback.

[deleted image] - A sign on Eyre Highway indicating that a RFDS emergency airstrip is ahead

According to the 2005 RFDS annual report, the RFDS treated 234,783 people that year, an average of 643 patients every day. Out of these, there were 33,339 aerial evacuations in total.

Today, the RFDS remains unique in the way it assists the people in remote areas in emergencies and general health care. It is known for the extreme climates and the massive areas in which it provides service.

Bibliography

"Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia." Wikipedia. 2007. 18 Oct. 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Flying_Doctor_Service_of_Australia>.

"Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia." Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. 2007. 23 Oct. 2007 <http://www.flyingdoctor.net/>.

"John Flynn (Minister)." Wikipedia. 2007. 25 Oct. 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Flynn_%28minister%29>

"Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia." Australia’s Culture Portal. 2007. 30 Oct. 2007 <http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/flyingdoctor/>

Posted by Proabffmm on Friday, June 6, 2008.