The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved the procedure for restoring aeromedical evacuation of patients using aircraft of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. The new mechanism will allow faster transfer of critically ill patients between hospitals and delivery of Ukrainians for treatment abroad.
This was announced on November 6 by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, citing Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi.
The aeromedical evacuation mechanism is planned to be launched by the end of 2026. It will be used in cases where transportation of a patient by ground transport is too lengthy, complicated, or may pose a threat to their health.
According to the head of government, the journey from Kharkiv to the evacuation hub in Polish Rzeszów by ground transport can currently take 15-16 hours. The use of an aircraft will reduce this time to 2-3 hours.
State Emergency Service aircraft will be able to cross the state border and deliver patients directly to evacuation hubs, in particular within the framework of the international Medevac Ukraine program, under which Ukrainians affected by the war are sent for treatment to European medical facilities.
Separately, the Ministry of Health clarified that the procedure provides for the use of air transport for transporting donor organs. In particular, State Emergency Service planes and helicopters may be engaged if ground transport of a donor heart exceeds two hours, and of liver or lungs – five hours.
Air transport will also be allowed to carry medical teams, necessary equipment, and specialists for organ retrieval.
Evacuation will be coordinated by the Ukrainian Scientific and Practical Center for Emergency Medical Care and Disaster Medicine of the Ministry of Health. The State Emergency Service will provide aircraft and crews, and assess the possibility of performing flights taking into account the security situation and weather conditions.
The approved procedure will be in effect until the termination or lifting of martial law, and for six months thereafter.
Restoration of aeromedical evacuation will complement the existing mechanism of targeted medical evacuation of war-affected individuals. According to the State Emergency Service, over 3700 patient transfers directly to specialized medical facilities have been carried out since its introduction.
Sources: Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, Ministry of Health, State Emergency Service of Ukraine
