Tempus a quick link to medical care

Emirates is one airline that uses MedLink services and has recently introduced the passenger health monitoring system, Tempus, from UK-based Remote Diagnostic Technologies Ltd (RDT).

Tempus records a passenger’s blood pressure, pulse rate, temperature, electrocardiogram (ECG), blood oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.

The data is then sent via the inflight communications system to MedLink, whose personnel can diagnose the problem and advise the crew on the best course of action.

Emirates is among three airlines worldwide to have purchased the technology, with a number of others expected to follow suit shortly.

Dr Cliff Webster, Emirates’ senior vice-president medical services, told Business Class that: “Emirates takes the health and safety of its passengers very seriously. 

“We are confident that with Tempus our customers will receive the best medical care currently available on board aircraft today. The system enables medical teams on the ground to differentiate between a serious and a minor medical condition, which will reassure an ill passenger.”

The Tempus is now installed in all Emirates’ Airbus A340-500 aircraft, which are currently operating services between Dubai and New York, Osaka, Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland and Christchurch.

The unit will be fitted into the Airbus A380-800 aircraft and the long-range Boeing 777s, such as the 777-300ERs which will operate into Perth from December.

Emirates’ pursers and senior flight stewards are trained in the use of the Tempus monitoring system, which sends high-resolution pictures of the passenger to the ground-based medical team in order to help with diagnosis and first-aid treatment.

Emirates crew can contact the medical team on the ground by satellite telephone from either the flight deck or a seat phone no matter where they are flying around the globe.