Cornwall Air Ambulance has a new lifesaving piece of equipment thanks to donations from the Freemasons of Cornwall and several other charitable trusts.
Since being added to the service, the ultrasound monitor has already helped several severely injured and ill patients by giving the paramedics a “window into a patient’s body”, allowing them to identify internal injuries and bleeding and give a clear picture of the patient’s organs.
This is particularly valuable where there are no visible signs of a penetrating injury, by showing the extent of the internal damage so that the air ambulance paramedics can act immediately.
Air operations officer, Steve Garvey, said: “Having the ultrasound monitor on board the helicopter enables us to bring even more critical care to the patient.
“In addition to signaling the need for intervention, the scans help us to select the best hospital unit for a patient because we can see the extent of their injuries or even the nature of a cardiac arrest.”
Cornwall Air Ambulance was able to secure the technology through donations from a number of organisations, including the Masonic Charitable Foundation which donated £4k to secure the monitor.
Provincial Grand Master, Stephen Pearn, said: “Cornish Freemasons remain very loyal supporters of Cornwall Air Ambulance together with its dedicated staff as it provides such an indispensable service to the county and has touched so many people throughout.”
Other donations came from Carew Pole, Tanner Trust, Patrick Trust, George Cadbury Trust, Norman Family Trust and Cornwall Council Community Chest who collectively contributed a further £6k to fund the kit.
