Membership emergency medical flights program opens in Panama

A low cost membership program for medical flights to Panama City  was launched this week in Panama.

Evac Americas program is available to residents and tourists and will use charter airplanes, and flight paramedics.
Memberships starting at $26 a year for an individual and $45 for a couple.Children of either family member are an additional $7.50 per child. Tourist memberships are $10, and valid for 90 days.

“Given the high charter cost for most people, we used a membership business model enabling a far more affordable service,” said company co-founder, Hunter Schultz.
A flight from David or Bocas del Toro, near Panama’s border with Costa Rica, would usually cost over $4,000. "It was getting quite sad, and far too often patients could not do flights because of cost issues.
“Our need for air medical transport reached critical mass some time ago,” said Schultz.

A release from the company says the company’s service starts when a medical doctor prescribes a flight based on medical need and usually because treatment is only available in Panama City. The primary determining factors for a flight are weather and the patient’s condition.
“When a doctor requests a medical flight, weather and other operational parameters are first checked and the patient’s condition is evaluated for flight suitability.
"Altitude changes the human body and we allow for this. For example, oxygen flow rates are adjusted," said Schultz.
"A licensed medical doctor always makes the final decision regarding a patient’s suitability to fly."

Once the flight doctor and the pilot approve a flight, an aircraft is assigned and prepared for the mission. The flight doctor also speaks with the receiving medical facility in Panama City, the attending doctor, flight paramedics, and the pilot about any special patient concerns possibly affecting the flight.
The flight is dispatched from Albrook Field in Panama City to the closest airport to the patient’s location. A flight paramedic provides care during the return flight to Albrook Field where a private ground ambulance transports the patient to a local private or public hospital depending on their condition and doctor’s preference.

The company uses local charter operator SkyMaxx Corporation for their flight needs. “While the membership business model is new, medical flights are not.
“SkyMaxx has years of experience flying patients on a charter basis, All the people involved have vast experience in this type of flyingsaid Schultz.”
SkyMaxx Corporation is a Panamanian charter aircraft operator located in Albrook and coordinates all Evac Americas flights. SkyMaxx is part of the Mapiex Group.