ELDERS has extended its sponsorship of the Royal Flying Doctor Service Central Operations, which serves SA and NT.
Elders will make another $300,000 contribution to the RFDS capital-raising program for the perennial upgrade of its fleet of flying intensive care units.
Elders SA state general manager Bernard Seal said the company and its employees were "enormously proud" to continue supporting the RFDS in delivering medical care to rural and regional Australians.
"Elders and the RFDS share so much in common in terms of their commitment to the health, wellbeing and prosperity of those who live, work and travel in these communities, including our staff, our clients - and their families," Mr Seal said at the sponsorship announcement.
In recognition of its tangible support, the medically-equipped RFDS aircraft VH-FXW, or 'Whiskey', will continue to airlift two patients a day throughout SA bearing the Elders brand on its fuselage.
Over the past year 'Whiskey' has flown more than 470,000 kilometres and airlifted almost 1000 patients from 55 different regional and remote communities to specialist medical treatment.
Whiskey has also undertaken more than 60 COVID-19 related patient transfers since March last year.
RFDS Marketing & Stakeholder Relations executive general manager Charlie Paterson said the impact of Elders tangible support would reach far and wide, delivering long-lasting benefits to the community.
"Support from all corners of the community - our donors, fundraisers, corporate sponsors and volunteers - is critical to us meeting our financial challenges, so we're delighted to have Elders continue its partnership with the RFDS and the communities we both serve," he said.
Whiskey is one of 20 aircraft operated by RFDS Central Operations located across its SA/NT network of aeromedical bases in Adelaide, Port Augusta, Alice Springs and Darwin.
With the capacity to transfer two stretchered and critically-ill patients at any point in time, 'Whiskey' will continue to serve the community through:
- emergency evacuations of the injured or critically-ill from outback communities;
- aeromedical transfers of patients interstate for life-saving surgery such as organ transplant and heart surgery on newborn babies;
- delivery of essential primary health care such as GP consultations and immunisation of children during 'fly-in' health clinics to remote communities; and
- transfer of patients from regional and bush hospitals to major hospitals in Adelaide, Port Augusta, Alice Springs and Darwin for higher levels of care
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