The RFDS in SA/NT
What we do
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
The RFDS has established a national RFDS COVID-19 Working Group to work closely with the Commonwealth and State Departments of Health in ensuring we can respond accordingly to this pandemic and deploy RFDS resources to outbreak areas if and when they are needed.
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Aeromedical Retrievals
Emergency flights for victims of accident or serious illness from a remote location. A farmer pinned under a tractor, a child with a snakebite, a motor vehicle accident on a remote dirt road or a sudden severe illness all requiring urgent aeromedical evacuation to a major hospital. On any given day Central Operations will conduct five remote retrievals throughout SA and NT.
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Primary Health Care
Regular fly-in GP and Community Health Nurse clinics are conducted to remote stations and communities from our Port Augusta Base fortnightly. Primary Health Care Services are also available from RFDS Port Augusta Base to those in living, working and travelling in remote SA and at RFDS Health Services in Marree, Marla and Andamooka. These clinics are staffed by Remote Area Nurses and supported by a modern, fully-equipped 4WD ambulance service.
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Inter-hospital Transfers
RFDS Central Operations conducts over 20 aeromedical transfers every day of patients from a country hospital to a major metropolitan hospital for life-saving treatment or specialist medical treatment.
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Mental Health
A Mental Health Outreach Program that enables clinicians to make regular visits to remote communities in Central Australia. Our team of Mental Health Clinicians conduct regular mental health consultations in communities surrounding Alice Springs and beyond in Central Australia.
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Education & Training
We offer a range of training programs including education for doctors and nurses to keep their emergency skills up to date, as well as First Aid training for people living in remote communities. RFDS Central Operations also offers a range of placements for medical and nursing students.
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Oral Health Care Program
The RFDS Oral Health Care Program offers a mobile dental and oral health care service to residents and communities throughout rural and remote South Australia and the Northern Territory. Regular ‘fly-in’ clinics provide opportunities for people of all ages living in remote locations to access high-quality dental care at no cost to the patient.
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Medical Chests
The Medical Chest, which is provided by the RFDS to isolated families or communities, contains a range of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical items, which enable emergency and non-emergency treatment to be given to people living and working remote areas where there is no access to a hospital or clinic.
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Long-Haul (Interstate) Aeromedical Transfers
A game-changer in aeromedical care, the RFDS Medi-Jet 24 slashes total mission time of long-haul missions and delivers three critically-ill patients the finest care in the air.
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AEDs
With requests from remote communities, RFDS has determined the benefit of co-locating Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) with each RFDS Medical Chest as these will potentially save lives.
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Clinic Charter Services
The RFDS has been a preferred provider of clinic charter services in Central Australia for many years, safely transporting NT Health primary and allied health professionals between isolated communities from Alice Springs Base. Following the successful renewal on the NT Government’s supplier panel for the Short-Haul Passenger Air Charter Service, the RFDS has commenced clinic charter services to NT Health in the Top End region operating from its new Darwin Base.
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Aboriginal Health Coordinator
The Aboriginal Health Coordinator focuses on providing a service specific to Aboriginal communities in South Australia. The position operates from the Port Augusta Base to liaise with Aboriginal patients of all ages, RFDS staff and health professionals.
Read moreOur Fleet
Our Fleet
Pilatus PC-12
RFDS Central Operations operates 18 Pilatus PC-12 aircraft capable of carrying two stretchered patients in a full aeromedical fitout. They have a hydraulic lifting device to move stretchers on and off the aircraft through a dedicated cargo door. There are seats for a Doctor, Flight Nurse and one passenger.
Pilatus PC-24
RFDS Central Operations took delivery of its first permanently configured aeromedical jet in 2019, the RFDS Medi-Jet 24. A game changer in aeromedical care, the RFDS Medi-Jet 24 slashes total mission time and delivers three critically-ill patients the finest care in the air.
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