35 patients per day: Rega's help will still be in great demand in 2024

In 2024, Rega's Operations Centre organized a total of 19,667 missions, which corresponds to a decrease of 4.7 percent compared to the previous year. On average, the flight coordinators organized 54 missions per 24 hours. Compared to the five-year average, last year's mission figures are 6.1 percent higher.

Last year, Rega transported a total of 12,847 patients (-6.0 %), which corresponds to the five-year average. Rega's mission crews thus helped an average of 35 patients per day. The number of patients and the number of missions are not identical, as during Rega missions, for example, several patients may be on board the helicopters or ambulance jets, search flights are carried out without transporting patients, and Rega's Operations Centre also organizes the missions of the mountain rescuers from the Swiss Alpine Club SAC or transports of livestock for the benefit of mountain farming.

The helicopter flight coordinators at Rega's National Air Rescue Centre coordinate the missions of the 14 Rega bases spread throughout Switzerland, as well as those of partner organizations. Last year, they organized a total of 14,714 helicopter missions. Compared to 2023, this was 6.3 % fewer. Both the number of rescue missions carried out by helicopter crews at the scene of an incident (primary missions: 8,693, -6.3 %) and the number of transfer flights from smaller hospitals to central hospitals (secondary missions: 2,729, -8.8 %) decreased.

The decline in the number of primary missions shows that Rega's mission figures are subject to natural fluctuations and reflect, among other things, the weather conditions and the leisure behavior of people in Switzerland. For example, the wet and sunless spring meant that the summer season got off to a late start. The heavy rainfall in midsummer led to severe storms in the Misox, Maggia Valley and Brienz, during which Rega was deployed with several rescue helicopters to help people in distress and provided the cantonal authorities with a wide range of support. In September and October, unstable weather led to a year-on-year decrease in helicopter missions of around 25 percent.

Rega provides assistance not only in Switzerland, but all over the world. Last year, a total of 2,552 people with medical problems abroad made use of Rega's services (+3.6 %). The medical consultants were able to help 1,204 patients (+8.4 %) over the telephone, while 1,348 people were repatriated. In these cases, Rega ensures that patients who have fallen ill or had an accident abroad can be flown home in one of Rega's three ambulance jets or on a scheduled flight with medical assistance.

Last year, the Rega jets transported slightly more patients than in the previous year: the Rega crews flew a total of 1,033 missions (+1.2 %) and repatriated 1,029 patients on board the ambulance jets (+1.4 %). The Jet Operations Centre organized a flight on board a scheduled aircraft for 319 people (-5.6 %). This economical and ecological alternative to the ambulance jet is always used if the patient's condition is stable enough, no negative effects on fellow passengers are to be expected and sufficient seats are available on board the scheduled aircraft. The number of repatriations also fluctuates, and the deployment of Rega jets changes in line with the travel and work activities of the Swiss population abroad.

Source: Rega