East Air Ambulance launches emergency appeal to protect crew from Covid-19

  • Anglia

East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) has warned it is facing huge costs in keeping the service in the air as it bids to safeguard crew.

Bosses say it is still flying during the coronavirus crisis, but the cost of buying vital personal protective equipment (PPE) has been 'significant'.

In fact they are facing a bill of more than £100,000 for the next six months - so now has launched an emergency appeal for donations to help fund the purchase of PPE.

More than £25,000 has already been spent on respirators, high-protection masks, visors, suits, gowns and goggles.

These are protecting the doctors and critical care paramedics who are working in the pre-hospital environment.

It comes as one Norfolk MP says the peak of the virus is about to impact the region.

The EAAA says, although a lot of people are staying home due to the lockdown, there are still road traffic collisions, falls, accidental injuries and other medical emergencies.

Most of these need the community-funded helicopter emergency medical service to quickly provide critical care.

Due to the nature of the procedures the medical teams are often required to perform, such as CPR, without the right PPE they are at a very high risk of great exposure to the virus.

With community support now, the charity says they can make sure they're still there for patients next month and next year, too.

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