The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia
Variety Caring for Kids Program
.jpg "RFDS")
The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (RFDS) is a trusted and admired Australian icon. As the largest and most comprehensive aero-medical organisation in the world, it continues to provide a lifeline to those who live, work and travel in rural, remote, and increasingly, metropolitan Australia.
With five new RFDS aircraft scheduled to commence service in 2010 to replace aging aircraft, Variety will fund the cost of a complete medical fit-out and installation of essential medical equipment to one of these new Pilatus PC-12 aircraft. This funding is an extension of Variety’s original contribution to fit-out another aircraft back in 2002 which continues to faithfully serve the RFDS to this day.
With new replacement aircraft scheduled for 2010 and the first of them arriving in March, RFDS Central Operations approached Variety to continue their relationship/partnership with the RFDS by providing a further grant to medically equip this aircraft. The grant of $600,000 will finance the essential medical equipment and complete the medical fit-out required to convert the new Pilatus PC-12 aircraft into a ‘flying intensive care unit’.
We applaud Variety’s generosity to the RFDS, and its ongoing support of families living in rural and remote communities. Children living in the city also benefit from the RFDS, not just when families travel to the bush, but at least once a fortnight the RFDS will fly a baby or young child from Adelaide to Melbourne for life-saving cardiac surgery.
Our sincere appreciation is extended to our friends at Variety and we are privileged to be their partner and have them as part of the RFDS family.”
John Lynch, Chief Executive Officer, RFDS Central Operations