New medical emergency care service rolled out in Mayo

CRITICAL, a network of volunteer emergency medical responders, has expanded its service in Mayo.

Since 2019, the organisation has have consistently shown how vital the HEMS Air Ambulance has been to saving lives.

Now it is stepping back from his air service to focus on medical emergency care.

A spoksperson outlined: "We are focusing all of our efforts on providing pre-hospital emergency care to critically ill and injured patients in their local communities in both rural and urban areas in Ireland.

"We already have a team of experienced volunteer emergency medicine doctors and medical responders on the ground in Mayo as well as Donegal and Dublin. Additional volunteer doctors are set to join them in Kildare, Dublin, Wicklow and Waterford in the coming months.

"Their rapid response vehicles are kitted out with specialist medical equipment including defibrillators, chest compression systems and suction units as well as advanced medical and trauma kits.

"This allows the medics to perform complex, often lifesaving, medical procedures, wherever and whenever they’re called upon.

"We have ambitious plans to further expand this network and are already working with the National Ambulance Service in this regard.

"Our ground teams responded to more than 1,800 incidents over the last three years alone, working in partnership with the emergency services to give people the very best chance of survival when they find themselves seriously ill or injured.

"We will continue to fundraise to kit out our volunteers so they can continue their life saving work.

"It costs an average of €25,000 to establish an advanced level volunteer doctor in the community and €120,000 to put a new critical care response vehicle on the road. With the public's help we will be able to expand this service to more locations across Ireland."