AI Services funds over two days of Air Ambulance NI

AI SERVICES, the com-pany that supplies art-

ificial insemination and breeding services to livestock producers thr-

oughout Northern Ireland, re-cently made a £15,000 donation to the charity Air Ambulance NI to support this valuable service to rural communities.

The Helicopter Emergency Med-ical Service (HEMS) for Northern Ireland responds to serious trauma and medical emergency on average twice per day. Ten per cent of those missions are to agricultural or industrial in-cidents across the Province, as learned by Drew McConnell, vice chairman of AI Services during his visit to the operational airbase in Lisburn recently.

Drew commented: “Visiting the Air Ambulance NI airbase recently was an education to say the least. I had understood that the helicopter brings essential speed to the scene of an incident, but I was educated about the skilled doctor and paramedic on board, and their medical equipment, resulting in critical care and interventions that are delivered right there in the moment.

“Effectively, the hospital is brought to the side of the patient and that can be the difference between life and death.”

Kerry Anderson, Head of Fundraising at the charity, said: “Each day, £5,500 is needed in fundraising to sustain the HEMS, meaning it’s there for anyone of us should we need it. I am delighted that AI Services has had the opportunity to make this considerable donation, which will fund over two days of the service. And as the team are needed on average twice a day, this donation could help five people across the Province.”

Oonagh Chesney, Director with AI Services and also a voluntary member of the Air Ambulance NI agribusiness group, said: “The Air Ambulance NI continues to provide a service that is crucial to the farming and agricultural sector as a whole.

“Five years into provision we have seen the tremendous work they carry out in delivering emergency medical support on a daily basis to all parts of the Province.”