State of the art refit for Hawke's Bay air ambulance

Air ambulance Te Manu Atawhai (bird of care) has been upgraded.

Intensive care in the air has reached another level after the recent upgrade of air ambulance Te Manu Atawhai (ZK-PLK).

About 60 guests and dignitaries attended last week's relaunch at Hawke's Bay airport, including the mayors of Napier and Hastings, members of both councils, former patients and their families, flight nurses, pilots, engineers involved in the upgrade and artist Tim Whaitiri-Henderson who designed the new livery on the aircraft.

The livery depicts the kōkako as a manu atawhai or avian aid, providing health care and wellbeing within a maui spiral, representing countering adversity and innovating prosperity.

Manu Atawhai was blessed by Kaumatua Pouahurea Tiwana Aranui and speakers included New Zealand Air Ambulance Service CEO, Annabel Toogood; EIT artists Tim Whaitiri-Henderson and Chris Bryant-Toi; Jackie Hardy, Health New Zealand (Hawke's Bay) clinical nurse manager flight and transport and Napier mayor Kirsten Wise.

The ribbon was cut by former patient Thomas Watson (13) who stood along with Mayor Wise and several school children from the local community.

Annabel Toogood says the upgrade, which was completed in the Hawke's Bay Airport hangar by a specialist team of aircraft engineers at Skyline Aeromaintenance, boasts an avionic upgrade fitted with a touch-screen glass cockpit, interior retrofit and full exterior repaint and livery.

"The enhanced avionics and dedicated dual ICU 'lifeport' aeromedical interior allows the team to deliver intensive care in the air. It can take two ex ICU stretchers or incubators, etc and the aircraft is now future proofed to ensure it continues to operate for Hawke's Bay with the latest technology available."

Manu Atawhai has been an air ambulance in Hawke's Bay since 2008 and completes more than 2000 air ambulance missions each year.

"This dedicated ambulance is used by the entire community. Hawke's Bay has the busiest air ambulance service in New Zealand."

Annabel says frequent users include residents of Wairoa being transported to Hastings for ICU level care and Hawke's Bay residents being transferred to the tertiary hospitals for specialist care, which may be cardiovascular, burns, spinal or oncology.

Annabel says this type of heavy maintenance and upgrade occurs approximately once a decade and the air ambulance crew is very excited to have the aircraft back and better than ever.

"With a brand new interior, it offers a state-of-the-art experience for our patients and medical teams to work in, flying patients throughout New Zealand."