HeYou Hospital's First Air Medical Rescue Drill Successful, Air Lifeline Accelerates Emergency Rescue

With the roar of the propeller, a yellow rescue helicopter landed steadily on the helipad of HeYou Hospital. The moment the cabin door opened, medical staff quickly transferred the onboard “patient” to the ground, and the waiting emergency team seamlessly took over, sending the patient to the emergency center for treatment. This was the scene at the helipad of HeYou Hospital on the morning of July 8th.

On the morning of that day, the inauguration ceremony of the HeYou Hospital helipad and the first air medical rescue drill were successfully held in Beijiao, Shunde, marking the official operation of the first private hospital rescue system in Guangdong Province with air medical rescue capabilities, injecting new momentum into the construction of the emergency medical rescue network in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Attendees included Han Ke, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Foshan Municipal Health Bureau; Zhao Xiahong, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Foshan Municipal Medical Security Bureau; He Xiangwei, Deputy District Mayor of Shunde; He Wenli, Vice Chairman of the Shunde District Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Director of the Shunde District Health Bureau; Wen Lianzhou, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Shunde District Government Service and Data Management Bureau; Wu Li, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Foshan Medical Security Bureau Shunde Branch; He Xiangjian, Founder of Midea and Chairman of Midea Holding; Zhao Jun, Executive President of Midea Holding; Li Li, Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Management Committee of HeYou International Hospital Group; and Liu Xiaofang, Deputy Director of the Management Committee of HeYou International Hospital Group and President of HeYou Hospital.

Public Welfare Mission Forges the “Air Lifeline”

Since its initial planning, HeYou Hospital has adhered to the public welfare mission of Midea founder Mr. He Xiangjian of “benefiting the hometown and giving back to society,” placing the enhancement of regional major emergency response capabilities at its core. The newly inaugurated helipad, located approximately 30 meters outside the hospital's emergency center, is the first registered general airport in Foshan City, specifically built to support air medical rescue and emergency response needs.

At the inauguration ceremony, Li Li, Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Management Committee of HeYou International Hospital Group, stated that under the strategic background of the “Healthy China 2030” plan and the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, building a three-dimensional medical rescue system is a key issue for enhancing regional public health emergency response capabilities. This drill aimed to practically test the safety of the helipad, the efficiency of ground-air coordination, and the multi-departmental collaboration mechanism. Through the drill, we aim to optimize collaboration processes, accumulate practical experience, lay the foundation for the routine operation of air medical rescue, promote the improvement of air medical rescue levels in the Bay Area, and effectively safeguard the lives and health of the people.

HeYou Hospital has established five major emergency centers, dedicated to guarding the “first line of life” for patients with chest pain, stroke, severe trauma, critically ill pregnant women, and critically ill newborns. In April of this year, HeYou passed the evaluation as a construction unit for a provincial-level tertiary trauma center. Concurrently, the hospital is equipped with internationally advanced emergency equipment, from high-end monitors and defibrillators to advanced ventilators, providing solid hardware support for emergency work.

“Adhering to the philosophy of ‘Integrity, Dedication, and Guardian of Life,’ we will continuously improve our medical technology and service quality, and persistently expand the reach of our medical services; meet the medical needs of Hong Kong and Macao residents, shortening cross-border medical distances; actively integrate into the regional medical system, and continuously enhance emergency rescue efficiency,” said Li Li.

Supporting the Improvement of the Urban-Rural Three-Dimensional Medical Emergency System

Han Ke, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Foshan Municipal Health Bureau, stated in his speech at the launch ceremony: “This first flight drill is not only a milestone in the development history of HeYou Hospital but also a ‘new air coordinate’ for the construction of our city's medical and health emergency system.” He noted that HeYou Hospital is a new force in the field of medical and health in Foshan. The completion and commissioning of the helipad, making it the first private hospital in the province with air medical rescue capabilities, is a vivid manifestation of HeYou's proactive responsibility and pursuit of excellence. It not only injects new momentum into the hospital's own development but will also significantly enhance the overall medical emergency level of the surrounding area, helping to improve the urban-rural three-dimensional medical emergency system. He expressed hope that HeYou Hospital would take this opportunity to further explore the application of new technologies such as smart medicine and telemedicine, provide replicable and scalable experience for the construction of emergency systems in the city and even the country, and offer more powerful explorations for promoting the construction of a Healthy Foshan and promoting the diversified development of medical resources.

At the ceremony, Eastern General Aviation awarded approximately 40 medical staff from HeYou Hospital the “Helicopter Medical Rescue HEMS Skills Training Certificate.” Through systematic training, the HeYou medical team has acquired the capability to perform emergency medical operations such as trauma first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the helicopter platform.

Practical Drill: Formation of a Closed-Loop Ground-Air Integrated Rescue System

This drill was jointly conducted by HeYou Hospital and Shenzhen Eastern General Aviation, simulating a multi-vehicle rear-end collision on the G15 Shenhai Expressway in Foshan. Due to severe traffic congestion, ground transport of the injured was extremely difficult. Medical staff immediately initiated an air rescue request, triggering the air transport contingency plan. Eastern General Aviation simultaneously confirmed the helicopter's airworthiness status and planned the flight route.

At the accident scene, HeYou doctors quickly completed the injury assessment, finding the patient had an open left femoral fracture, hemorrhagic shock, and closed craniocerebral injury. The in-hospital trauma center was activated immediately. Multidisciplinary teams from the Emergency Department, Orthopedic Trauma Department, and Neurosurgery Department stood by in the resuscitation room, while the Blood Transfusion Department and Operating Room entered a state of combat readiness.

Upon the helicopter's arrival at the accident scene, the medical team quickly transferred the injured person to the helicopter stretcher and completed the connection of onboard monitoring equipment (ECG, blood oxygen, blood pressure monitoring). Aviation support personnel meticulously secured the patient for boarding, ensuring transport safety. The helicopter then took off as planned, heading for the HeYou Hospital helipad.

Approximately 10 minutes later, the helicopter landed precisely on the HeYou Hospital helipad, where the emergency team was already prepared. The injured person was transferred from the cabin to a stretcher. The patient was quickly rushed to the emergency center operating room. The pre-hospital and in-hospital medical teams completed the handover swiftly, including MDT secondary triage, head and neck CT, and chest and abdominal CTA examinations. The Trauma Center, Neurosurgery Department, and other departments had formulated surgical plans. The patient was transferred to the ICU for resuscitation support post-surgery. This series of operations marked the comprehensive formation of a closed-loop system from pre-hospital emergency care to in-hospital treatment.

Ground-Air Integrated Network Safeguarding Life and Health

The entire treatment process of this drill was smooth and efficient, fully demonstrating the three-dimensional transport capabilities and critical care capabilities of HeYou Hospital and Eastern General Aviation in ground-air coordination. The Emergency Department of HeYou Hospital has established an integrated system of “pre-hospital emergency care - emergency resuscitation - intensive care.” The advancement of the air medical rescue system opens up an “air lifeline” for patients, further helping HeYou build a three-dimensional emergency network.

“Through this practical drill, HeYou Hospital has officially entered the era of ‘ground-air integrated’ emergency care. In the future, during natural disasters and other emergencies, we can respond more quickly and transport the injured more efficiently, winning the golden time for rescue,” said Liu Xiaofang, Deputy Director of the Management Committee of HeYou International Hospital Group and President of HeYou Hospital. He stated that this drill focused on verifying three core capabilities of HeYou Hospital: the standardized process for trauma assessment and emergency management, the seamless connection between air transport and ground treatment, and the cross-institutional collaborative response mechanism. Through practical training, HeYou Hospital is laying a solid foundation for building a “ground-air integrated” critical care network.

This drill was not only a test of HeYou Hospital's emergency rescue capabilities but also the first comprehensive demonstration of the hospital's air medical rescue system construction. In the future, HeYou Hospital will strive to become an air medical rescue base, continuously improve the air medical rescue system, enhance cross-institutional collaborative response capabilities, and contribute to building a safer and more efficient emergency medical rescue network.

Introduction to the Critical Care Center of HeYou Hospital

24-Hour Five Centers Guarding Life

HeYou Hospital, stemming from the public welfare mission of Midea founder Mr. He Xiangjian to “benefit the hometown and give back to society,” is a non-profit tertiary general hospital with fees benchmarked against public tertiary hospitals. The hospital has obtained designated medical insurance service qualifications for outpatient, inpatient, maternity insurance, and work-related injury insurance, allowing citizens to enjoy medical insurance reimbursement for their visits.

The Critical Care Medical Center is centered around the Emergency Department and the Intensive Care Unit, encompassing five major centers for the treatment of chest pain, stroke, trauma, critically ill pregnant women, and newborns, with highly coordinated support from Imaging, Laboratory, Blood Bank, and Anesthesia/Operating Rooms. The center possesses advanced equipment and technical means, as well as a rapid response backbone team skilled in treating various acute and critical conditions such as trauma, hemorrhage, myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accidents, and organ failure. The goal is to save lives and reduce disability rates with the fastest speed and the most advanced technical methods. Among them:

Stroke Center: As a member unit of the National Stroke Emergency Map, it deeply understands that “time is brain.” Through a green channel with six “first moments,” it rapidly initiates key technologies such as intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy, racing against time to save the brain. Chest Pain Center: With close multidisciplinary collaboration and highly optimized processes, it ensures that patients with acute chest pain, especially those with myocardial infarction, receive treatment within the precious 120-minute golden window. The average time from hospital arrival to vessel opening is controlled within 90 minutes. Trauma Center: A provincially certified trauma center construction unit, equipped with cutting-edge equipment such as a combined CT resuscitation unit, it integrates multidisciplinary forces to build an efficient “one-stop” trauma treatment system. Critical Pregnant Women Treatment Center: Integrates a multidisciplinary expert team and establishes a 24-hour unobstructed green channel, particularly skilled in managing high-risk pregnancies and obstetric critical emergencies, fully committed to ensuring the safety of both mother and baby. Critical Newborn Treatment Center: Equipped with advanced equipment and sterile laminar flow wards, it provides comprehensive care and specialized nursing exclusively for premature and critically ill newborns.

The center currently has a team of over 100 direct medical and nursing staff, 5 ambulances, and more than 400 sets of various advanced emergency diagnosis and treatment equipment including ECMO machines, ventilators, and CRRT machines. It operates 5 emergency resuscitation units and 49 intensive care beds, providing comprehensive protection for patient safety.