Real patients, real stories >
A risk of rupture.
Robert Wendl | Borroloola, Big Rivers NT
“I was woken up by this incredible pain. I couldn't breathe or at least that that's how it felt.”
Robert was suffering an aortic dissection – a rare and often deadly condition that occurs when there is a tear in the wall of the aorta (the body’s main artery), compromising blood flow to the heart and vital organs.
Ringer’s race for help.
Amy Kynoch | Lucy Creek NT
“I grabbed the rear vision mirror and I just started crying. I was like, ‘Oh my god, it’s terrible!’”
When a bloodied Amy regained consciousness in the back of a truck, she realised her ‘typical’ day at work had taken a disastrous turn.
Yarning together.
Willowra Community | Central Desert NT
“Willowra is a special community that’s experienced a lot of hardships and challenges. Being able to walk into community and be recognised as part of a service that offers so much to so many people is a real privilege.”
Every week, the RFDS Mental Health & Wellbeing team out of Alice Springs hits the road to visit Central Desert communities like Willowra, spreading awareness in aims to tackle the unfolding mental health crisis.
An outback nightmare.
Liana Bryant | Central Desert NT
“I rushed to the bathroom – we have white tiles and it looked like a scene from a horror movie.”
Lil was experiencing a secondary postpartum haemorrhage, an unpredictable pregnancy complication that causes excessive bleeding after childbirth and can occur up to 12 weeks after having a baby.
With help at least four hours’ drive away Lil called the RFDS and the Medical Retrieval and Consultation Centre (MRaCC) in Alice Springs.
At this stage, Lil had already lost 500ml of blood.
Response ready >
Territory-tough training.
Mental Health training out bush
From extreme weather to isolation, dealing with the constant challenges of living out bush can trigger a range of emotions and stress.
The Flying Doctor launched Mental Health First Aid training in Katherine, to provide people with knowledge and skills to support each other when the going gets tough.
Big country, little hearts.
Emergency paediatric care
Delivering specialist health care to children in Central Australia takes more than expertise — it takes strong partnerships and seamless teamwork.
The RFDS works closely with the Medical Retrieval and Consultation Centre (MRaCC) and the Paediatrics Unit at Alice Springs Hospital to bring vital care to families living in some of the most remote parts of the Northern Territory.
Territory-first Virtual Emergency Care.
Innovating emergency care across Central Australia and the Barkly
The RFDS have partnered with NT Cattlemen’s Association (NTCA), NT Health’s Medical Retrieval & Consultation Centre (MRaCC) and Remote Outreach Consultation Centre (ROCC) to combine telehealth technology with consultation, diagnostics and essential medications that can be used in the homestead or out in the field, allowing on-call doctors to assess critically ill patients, hundreds of kilometres away, in real time.
Behind the scenes.
A real RFDS rescue
Follow a real RFDS flight crew as we take you exclusively behind the scenes of a outback emergency retrieval at Utopia, NT.
Follow the crew through eight steps as they airlift a young, Indigenous NT station worker, Tyler.
