The Stewards of the Turf Club and the Stewards of the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee (INHSC) this week presented a cheque for €10,000 to the Irish Community Rapid Response Air Ambulance (ICRR) at their County Cork base.
Based just outside Mallow, a year ago this month the ICRR launched Ireland’s first dedicated and charity funded Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) and it has since provided a vital lifesaving service.
This rapid response of the helicopter allows the pre-hospital emergency care medical personnel to bring a casualty to the hospital that best suits their life saving needs with the ability to cover a 25,000km2 area within 20 minutes of emergency medical care.
Due to their location, the HEMS can rapidly respond to Irish Racecourses and point-to-point venues in the south of the country and it was HEMS that responded to jockey David Mullins following a serious fall at Thurles last October.
Speaking on behalf of the Turf Club and Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee, Philip McLernon said: “Dr. Mary Flannery, who is the wife of former INHSC Senior Steward Edward, was instrumental in getting the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service up and running.
“The Turf Club, the INHSC and the wider racing community all acknowledge the importance of such a service, not only to our sport but to the entire country. This was very much highlighted last Autumn following the fall of David Mullins at Thurles when the helicopter was able to land on track within minutes of receiving the call. We are delighted to be able to give a donation to this invaluable service at this time.”
Donie Lucey, a volunteer with the Irish Community Rapid Response Air Ambulance, commented: “We are all in challenging times at the moment and it isn’t possible to organise our usual fundraising events. As a result, we are trying to stretch every euro further and further so a donation of this magnitude is greatly received.
“The ICRR are all too familiar with being called out to horse racing events and due to the types of injuries typically involved, the speed of getting further medical care there is critical.
“We were over the moon to get contact from the Turf Club and the INHSC about the donation and it was very much appreciated by all involved in the Irish Community Rapid Response Air Ambulance.”
