Medical evacuation facts for kids
Medical evacuation, often called medevac, is when medical teams quickly move sick or injured people to a hospital. This can be from a battlefield, an accident scene, or even from a small hospital to a bigger one. They often use special vehicles like air ambulances, especially helicopters.
.jpg)
Medevac can involve different types of vehicles. These include civilian EMS vehicles, special helicopters for medical transport, and military air ambulances. It's all about getting patients safely and quickly to where they can get the best medical care.
History of Medevac
The very first time someone was moved by air for medical reasons was in Serbia in 1915. This happened during World War I. One of the sick soldiers was Milan Rastislav Štefánik, a pilot from Slovakia. A French pilot named Louis Paulhan flew him to safety.
Later, the United States Army started using this method more. They used Sikorsky R-4B helicopters in Myanmar near the end of World War II. The first helicopter rescue was by 2nd Lt Carter Harman. He flew his helicopter into enemy territory in Myanmar. Between April 25 and 26, he made four trips. He rescued an American pilot and four injured British soldiers, one at a time. The first medevac done while under attack happened in Manila in 1945. Five pilots rescued 75 to 80 soldiers, taking one or two at a time.
See also
- Aeromedical evacuation
- Air ambulance
- Casualty evacuation
