The patient from the mountainous county of Qingyuan is transferred to Hangzhou by helicopter. [Photo/IC]

A severely burned patient was transferred on Jan 7 by a helicopter from the remote mountainous Qingyuan county of Lishui city in East China's Zhejiang province to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, the provincial capital, thanks to the services from the Lishui Aviation Medical Rescue Alliance.

The 430 kilometers between Qingyuan and Hangzhou normally takes about six hours to transfer patients via ambulances. However, through the "emergency air route", the journey only took 132 minutes.

Established in August 2024, the alliance consists of 28 institutions, integrating resources from medical institutions, insurance companies, and aviation companies to provide timely and effective emergency assistance for residents in mountainous areas.

The 48-year-old patient sustained burns covering roughly 40 percent of his body, classified as severe third-degree burns, and his condition is critical, said Wang Li, a medical expert from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine who is stationed in Qingyuan county. A comprehensive assessment decided that the patient be transferred via helicopter to Hangzhou for treatment, Wang added.

"The helicopter is equipped with specialized rescue medications, transport ventilators, AEDs, and other high-end emergency medical equipment for aviation rescue, ensuring that rescue operations can be conducted at any time," said Wu Xiaoli, deputy head nurse of the Emergency Department at Qingyuan People's Hospital.

The patient receives treatment at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]