The Royal Flying Doctor Service made a pit stop at Hoppers Crossing’s Bellbridge Primary School last week to teach pupils about the work it does across Australia.
As part of Education Week, the service arrived with an aero-simulator and a life-sized replica of a plane fitted with communications and medical equipment.
Pupils discovered how the medical equipment worked and took the headphones and microphones for a trial run.
They were given an insight into what it is like to be a patient on board one of the planes by being strapped into a stretcher.
Program manager Tom Ryan said the pupils loved learning about the service, which assists more than 290,000 patients a year.
The service delivers air and road transport, rural health programs the likes of diabetes, mobile eye and dental care, rural women’s GP services and patient transport.
“The simulator is a life-size version of an RFDS plane complete with medical and communication equipment,” Mr Ryan said.
“The kids are encouraged to try out everything, push buttons and get an idea of what it’s like to be a pilot, nurse or doctor on a flying doctor plane.”
