The Saudi Red Crescent Authority is scheduled to officially launch its air ambulance service next month. Dr. Muwaffaq Al-Byook, executive director of the Self-Operation Project at the Red Crescent, said the project of the air ambulance would be officially launched within a month, as two ambulance planes will arrive in the Kingdom in the next few days. Addressing a press conference at the authority's headquarters in Riyadh Thursday, Al-Byook said the Authority is in the process of securing 28 helicopters and 4 to 6 medium-range planes to cover the entire Kingdom in the next four years. He stressed that the Authority will begin the first stage with six planes this year in the Central Region (Riyadh) and the Western Region (Makkah). He said within the Authority's plan it would open 600 ambulance centers in addition to the existing 270 centers. He said the Authority will set up an academy or college for the training of a national cadre specialized in ambulatory services. He mentioned that the number of the crew that will work on the air ambulances will consist of 8 to 10 persons in addition to the air rescuers, adding that in the first stage the flying team will work in the morning and evening stage may start in the next few months. He said the air ambulance rescuers have received training courses in accordance with the international rules and those of the General Authority of Civil Aviation in the Kingdom.
