Case Study 10: Melbourne to Remote South Australia

Western Hospital Melbourne to remote South Australia.

On August 28,2012 a 52-year-old female on holidays from South Australia was found in the morning by her husband to be unconsciousness in bed. She had taken her regular hyperglycemic medication the previous evening despite recording a low blood sugar level. This resulted in a hypoglycemic acquired brain injury.

She spent a week in the Intensive Care Unit before being moved to the ward with tracheostomy that was de-cannulated a week later.

Her progress was slow with a fluctuating Glasco Coma Scale of 10-13/15, however, after three weeks she had become clinically stable and was smiling, tracking people in the room and less agitated.  A decision was made to repatriate the patient back to her local Hospital in remote South Australia.

On September 28, 30 days after her initial injury the client was flown from Melbourne to Adelaide with a Medical Connect staff and then transferred on a regional flight to Whyalla. For the final phase she was driven by vehicle for 1.5 hours to her local Hospital in remote South Australia.

This mission demonstrated the capacity to move a patient using multiple aircrafts and vehicle platforms to deliver a personalised clinical outcome and cost effective solution.

Importantly her family was grateful that she was close by and in the care of the local hospital.