● The operation is carried out by the Aeroevacuation Medical Unit (UMAER), referent of the health units of the Armed Forces
● A reinforced health team composed of 11 people will take care of the transfer
An A330 medicalized aircraft of the Aeroevacuation Medical Unit of the Air and Space Army (UMAER) has departed this afternoon from the Air Base of Torrejón de Ardoz (Madrid) to repatriate the Spanish citizen Alex García, who has been hospitalized in Thailand for almost two months.
The repatriation takes place after the Ministry of Defense expedited all the necessary procedures after receiving a request for help from the patient’s relatives, who suffered two frustrated attempts at transfer in a particular way, and highlights once again the preparation of the Armed Forces at the service of society.
“The Ministry of Defense has been preparing the aeroevacuation for three days with great prudence and discretion, because it is obviously complicated and difficult,” said Defense Minister Margarita Robles. “A great effort is being made, we are going to be supporting the family and once again I want to highlight the great work that our Armed Forces are doing,” he added.
On board the aircraft that will transport the patient from Bangkok to Bilbao travels a UMAER healthcare team specialized in medicine and infirmary flight composed of 11 people, including anesthesiologists, intensivists, critical care nurses and sanitary technicians in aeroevacuation. At the head of the operation is the head of the Unit, medical lieutenant colonel Pilar Salvador, who explained that it is a reinforced team due to the enormous distance that has to be traveled.
“We cannot afford any failures. We need full assurance that the Armed Forces, the Air and Space Army and UMAER will give the best to the patient. These units do not fail and we are always at the service of our society,” said the lieutenant colonel.
MULTIDISCIPLINARY WORK
UMAER, specialized in evacuations and immediate medical care, is part of the Very High Availability Projection Forces, which remain on alert 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to act within a maximum of two hours from the moment of a warning. Its main function is to perform aeroevacuations of displaced military personnel in areas of operation, but in certain circumstances it may be civilian personnel.
In this case, the team led by Lieutenant Colonel Salvador has maintained daily contact with the doctors who treat the patient in Thailand, in order to prepare all the medical device, material and personnel necessary to carry out the aeroevacuation, “one of the most difficult” they have had to face.
This task is done in parallel with others such as the management of documentation for permits, overflights or preparation of pilots, a “fundamental multidisciplinary teamwork”, according to the head of the UMAER, who has highlighted the participation in this evacuation of the 45 Air and Space Army Group, as well as the reinforcement of the Central Hospital of the Defense ‘Gómez Ulla’.
The flight to repatriate Álex García will travel to Bangkok without making stopovers and will transfer the patient back to Bilbao, on a journey in which two of his relatives who are currently in Thailand will also travel. Before leaving on this mission, Lieutenant Colonel Salvador wanted to refer to the UMAER motto “For heaven always on time, your Armed Forces do not fail you and we will bring you home”.