Air Medical Transport at Mutxamel: The Generalitat’s Medical Helicopter Unit
Located near Mutxamel, the Generalitat operates a medicalized helicopter that delivers rapid, life-saving care with SAMU’s swift response and transfer capabilities. This aircraft serves as a mobile intensive care unit, arriving directly at emergency scenes by air to provide immediate, on-site medical attention.
In the field, a 43-year-old professional named Alejandro Belmonte stands out as a key figure. He begins each shift with a smile and ends it with the same warmth, dedicating twelve hours to frontline emergency medicine. As a SAMU physician specializing in air emergencies, he is deeply committed to delivering high-stakes care to patients in urgent need. In many cases, rapid air transport to a hospital can be the deciding factor in saving a life. Belmonte works alongside a nurse, a pilot, and a crew member as part of the SAMU Alpha 9 unit, the Generalitat’s medical helicopter crew based at Mutxamel airport.
Airborne Medical Response
The fleet is dedicated to airborne medical transport, performing roughly twenty missions each month. While the primary service area is Alicante, the unit also covers the southern part of Valencia and sometimes assists neighboring provinces. By the end of October, the unit had completed 184 flights, with 132 emergency medical transports and 52 inter-hospital transfers that required rapid movement between facilities.
The Emergency Information and Coordination Center coordinates two medical helicopters operating across Alicante and Castellón. These aircraft belong to the Security and Emergencies Authority but operate under the Ministry of Health with medical staff from SAMU onboard. While Generalitat maintains two other drones based in Manises, those unmanned aircraft are not exclusively for medical use and are occasionally deployed for interhospital transport, often managed by SAMU teams when needed.
The core mission calls for rapid response to health emergencies and high-risk incidents where transfer time is critical. A patient presenting chest pain or signs of a heart attack benefits most from quick transport by air, underscoring a practical rule that seconds can save lives. This urgency guides every operation and shapes the training and protocols followed by the crew.
The helicopter cabin mirrors a terrestrial SAMU setup, equipped with the same essential medical devices and the capacity to support an incubator. According to Belmonte, the cabin functions as a mobile intensive care unit, with space more limited than on ground ambulances. The team carefully assesses the patient’s condition before boarding to ensure stabilization for the flight path, reducing the risk of complications during movement.
Once notified of an emergency, take-off can be achieved within about five minutes. After the four-person air unit and the patient are aboard, transfers typically conclude in under twenty minutes, highlighting the efficiency that air medical services bring to urgent care scenarios.
Altitude and Flight Protocols
Flight crew emphasizes that altitude and maneuvering are adjusted to the patient’s pathology. The physician guides the pilot to minimize health risks during ascent, descents, and turns, guarding against sudden accelerations that could worsen a condition. The helicopter operates from sunrise to sunset, with peak demand in the summer due to increased activity throughout the province of Alicante. The patient roster includes a wide range of emergencies, from motor vehicle accidents to cases involving children and athletes who require rapid transport to specialized care facilities. In this context, the SAMU Alpha 9 unit is viewed as a vital guardian angel, delivering essential emergency care from the air when it is most needed.
The overall approach centers on speed, precision, and coordinated teamwork between medical doctors, nurses, pilots, and support staff. This collaboration ensures that patients in critical conditions receive stabilization and rapid transfer to the appropriate hospital, often preventing deterioration before arrival. The air unit remains a crucial component of regional emergency response, combining advanced medical equipment with the mobility needed to reach patients wherever they are located in the service area.
In all scenarios, the aim remains clear: to provide immediate, high-quality medical care in the shortest possible time, with the ultimate goal of saving lives through swift air transport and expert clinical intervention. The Samu Alpha 9 helicopter fleet embodies this mission, serving as a reliable, efficient, and proactive asset in the region’s health and safety landscape.