The RFDS has been instrumental in the development of the Pilbara region. Without the support and sense of security it provides, many women would not have dared to venture into the places discussed in this book. In more recent times, the RFDS's Female General Practitioner Program has provided the services of female doctors to women in remote locations.
Over the years, the role of the RFDS has changed considerably. In earlier times, it was more or less a flying ambulance service, transporting the sick and injured to hospitals or medical centres for treatment. However, with the introduction of newer and more sophisticated aircraft, today's RFDS planes resemble flying intensive care units. This change, while not supported by all, has meant that a patient is now virtually 'in hospital' once aboard the RFDS aircraft, saving critical time and, possibly, lives.
The very nature of illness and accidents means that the demands placed on the RFDS are unpredictable. Occasionally, an aircraft (or several) will need to be diverted to cope with a situation as it unfolds. For instance, in March 2007, the service was called upon to rescue victims of a cyclone that had swept through the Pilbara, destroying an isolated mining camp in the process. A total of three aircraft were used to evacuate six critically injured patients. It's not an easy task for RFDS staff, who, in consultation with doctors or other health professionals, must make such critical decisions.
Recent figures (2006) show that the RFDS transported some 34,203 patients, provided medical advice to 196,170 people and attended a total of 237,143 patients in a single year. An average of 56,008 nautical miles were flown per day to provide that service, which is available twenty-four hours a day, 365 days of the year. There can be no doubt that without the RFDS, living, working or travelling in Australia's vast outback would present even more challenges—some ending in tragedy, as was the case before John Flynn's vision became a reality.
