Helicopters used to transport people who need medical attention can now land on the northeast side of the Calderón Guardia Hospital  – a major public health facility near downtown San José, Costa Rica, announced Columbia Radio 98.7 FM this week.

The first such transport took place over the weekend when a patient with an apparent heart problem was airlifted by medical helicopter from Santa Maria de Dota in the southern central mountains, said Columbia Radio.

To prepare to receive emergency cases by helicopter, the hospital has undergone a series of trainings and drills together with the Ministry of Security.

The facility now has a set of protocols in place that are activated when a patient in critical condition arrives from a remote or off-site location to the hospital.

And likewise, there are special protocols in place for special circumstances in which medical specialists are transferred by airlift to patients in remote areas.

The helicopter medical transport is a joint program of the Ministry of Security’s air surveillance unit, and the Calderón Guardia Hospital emergency brigade and emergency service.