Swiss Air-Rescue (Rega) rescued a record number of people in 2021, coming to the assistance of more than 12,000 for the first time since it was founded in 1952.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/jc
Español
es
Año récord para el servicio de rescate aéreo suizo
Rega, best known for rescuing skiers and hikers in distress, had the “busiest year in its history”, it said on TuesdayExternal link. The air rescue service last year organised 18,017 missions, up 10.7% on the previous year.
Its helicopters were in the air particularly frequently, but its three ambulance jets also recorded more missions. As well as its regular operational activities, Rega said that at the request of the authorities it “continued to support Swiss hospitals as a national coordination centre by organising the distribution of patients among the intensive care units” during the coronavirus pandemic.
In total, 14,330 helicopter missions were carried out (+8.1%). Rega also repatriated 970 people, 858 of whom were flown home by ambulance aircraft (+32.6%) and 112 by airliner (+0.9%). In 2021, Rega transported 702 people (+53.9%) infected with Covid-19.
Rega also reported an increase in its donors last year. By the end of 2021 it had nearly 3.7 million donors, a net increase of 53,000 compared with the end of the previous year.
Swiss Air-Rescue is a non-profit foundation that provides medical assistance by air and currently has 400 staff. Rega says it is “at the disposal of the Swiss people 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and operates 13 helicopter bases distributed throughout the country, as well as three ambulance jets”.
More
More
Swiss army ends ICU patient repatriation missions
This content was published on
A month-long mission to bring Swiss patients home from intensive care units abroad resulted in 25 repatriations before it was ended again at the beginning of October.
Employees in Switzerland increasingly stressed at work
This content was published on
The proportion of people in Switzerland who are stressed at work has increased by 5% over ten years, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
This content was published on
F/A-18 fighter jets will practice take offs and landings on the A1 motorway between Payerne and Avenches in canton Vaud on June 5.
Swisscom finalises financing for Vodafone Italia takeover
This content was published on
Telecoms group Swisscom has taken the next step in its takeover of Vodafone Italia and secured financing for the deal, the company said on Thursday.
Switzerland commits CHF50 million to combat rural poverty worldwide
This content was published on
The Federal Council approved a contribution of CHF49.5 million ($54.1 million) for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Rega tops Swiss ‘public value’ ranking while Marlboro comes last
This content was published on
Air rescue service Rega and the Red Cross did well in the 2019 Public Value Atlas survey while FIFA, Glencore and Marlboro failed to impress respondents.
This content was published on
Accidents on the road, in businesses, on remote farms or in the mountains – whenever injured people need to be brought to the hospital straightaway, Rega aircraft arrive quickly through the air. Very quickly, in fact: the helicopter launches five minutes after a telephone arrives from private citizens or the local police. It can be…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.