Air ambulances that carry doctors to emergencies this year are projected to be dispatched 10,000 times and will be able to cover the whole archipelago, both for the first time ever.
Since the Emergency Medical Network of Helicopter and Hospital, a nonprofit organization, was established 12 years ago and a related law came into effect four years ago, the service has taken firm root as a component of the emergency medical care system.
As of Feb. 1, there were 32 air ambulances operating in 27 prefectures.