Abu Dhabi: A UAE-based advanced aeromedical service is providing a vital lifeline to critically ill patients across the world by transporting them safely between hospitals while delivering intensive care in the air.
The service, operated by iCAT Response Plus, the aeromedical division of Response Plus Holding, is based in Abu Dhabi. Within the first five months of operation, its “Flying ICU” service completed nearly 1,000 flight hours across 20 countries on five continents.
The service is primarily designed for patients who require urgent or highly complex medical treatment and need to be transferred safely between hospitals in different countries.
A Fully Equipped ICU in the Sky
A specially equipped Challenger 605 aircraft is used for the medical missions. The aircraft functions as a fully operational intensive care unit, allowing medical teams to continuously monitor patients and provide critical treatment while in the air.
With a nonstop flying range of approximately 7,400 kilometres, the aircraft can transport critically ill patients from GCC countries to destinations across different parts of the world.
Advanced medical equipment onboard enables specialised teams to manage even highly unstable patients throughout the journey.
Supporting Even Critically Ill Newborns
The Flying ICU has also successfully transported newborn babies requiring highly specialised intensive care.
In one case, a baby just three days old was transported while receiving ECMO — Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, an advanced life-support system that temporarily supports the functions of the heart and lungs.
The aeromedical team has completed more than 390 ECMO transfers to date.
In another complex mission, a six-week-old baby requiring nitric oxide therapy and oscillatory ventilator support was safely transported to the required medical facility.
These missions demonstrate the ability of the Flying ICU to provide highly specialised neonatal and critical care during international air transfers.
‘Bed-to-Bed’ Critical Care Service
According to Dr. Rohil Raghavan, Chairman of iCAT Response Plus, transporting critically ill patients internationally involves far more than simply arranging an aircraft.
Such missions require a high level of clinical expertise, complex medical care and precise coordination between multiple teams.
The company follows a “bed-to-bed” transfer model, ensuring continuity of care throughout the entire journey.
Under this system, the patient is transferred from the hospital bed to a ground ambulance, taken to the medical aircraft and, after reaching the destination, transported directly to the receiving hospital bed.
Before every mission, the medical team carefully assesses the patient’s clinical requirements, the equipment needed onboard the aircraft and the regulatory requirements of the countries involved.
The Flying ICU initiative is also part of efforts to extend the UAE’s advanced emergency medical response capabilities beyond its borders, strengthening the country’s role in providing specialised international critical-care transport.
