D for

D for Doctors of the flying kind.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service was started in Queensland in 1928 by Reverend John Flynn.

At that time there were only 2 doctors to service 2 million square kilometres of the Australian outback. He realised that there was potential benefits to health services in the outback by combining aerial services with radio.

It was such a good idea by 1930 all the mainland states in Australia had the Service operating.

It's brilliant especially when you think about the fact that both of these 2 bits of technology were in their infancy.

Initially the Service was using foot pedal radios that transmitted in morse code but by the mid 1930s voice radio was used. The first aerial ambulance was a single engine, timber and fabric by-plane, amazingly they flew 50 flights to 26 destinations and treated 225 patients in their first year.

In the 1950s The Service led to another Aussie icon – The School of the Air. The RFDS shared their radios with school teachers who had their classrooms in the kitchens of homes in the outback. (but more on that later)

The RFDS is still in operation today, flying patients to hospital from remote outback locations, flying Doctors and Nurses, Dentists, mental health workers and other medical professionals in to provide access to health clinics to remote communities and giving advice over the radio or the phone.

The Teams usually consist of a Pilot and a Nurse but if there is a serious illness or injury a Doctor will also be on board.

The planes are sometimes required to land in difficult circumstances, on roads or fields sometimes using flares or car headlights in order to mark out their landing strip.

The service is, unbelievably, free to everyone who lives, works or travels in the outback of Australia.

If you are ever in Australia and travel to Alice Springs or Broken Hill the RFDS has museums in both of those towns that gives you an historical tour of their organisation and a bit of info on the heros that worked with them.

I had just arrived at Alice Springs airport one day when a RFDS plane landed with a very sick baby on board. She had whooping cough and was in an oxygen tent with tubes hanging out of every available extremity and cavity. As upsetting as it was to see, I couldnt help but be impressed by the Doctor and Nurse and ground staff as they unloaded this little girl and her mum into a waiting ambulance.

I found out later that the family was from a property over 4 hours flight away and they had been treating her by radio for 3 days before the decision to get her to hospital was made.

I can only imagine how being 4 hours away from medical help would feel if you had a sick child but it must be comforting to know that these professionals are only a quick flick of a switch away for advice.