Emirates has signed a deal with Parsys Telemedicine to introduce next generation equipment that will enable passengers receive high-quality, speedy medical care in the air.

The carrier has invested more than USD2.4 million in co-designing the new equipment set with Parsys, which will be rolled out to 300 aircraft over the next few years. The ‘telemedicine station’ has advanced features such as high-definition video conferencing, remote passenger assessment, secure data transmission and 12-Leads Telecardia ECG – enabling Emirates’ highly trained cabin crew to save lives in emergency situations.

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Medical training and support for cabin crew is a top priority at Emirates. New joiners undergo eight weeks of intense ‘ab-initio’ training to become world-class cabin crew. The ab-initio period includes a myriad of courses from security to service, safety and emergency to hospitality, and the critically important medical response training. Using a combination of practical, in-situ, classroom and online learning, new recruits are taught invaluable lessons to save lives. The new Parsys kit is introduced to cabin crew through a blended approach of e-learning and practical learning.

From a psychological perspective, cabin crew also receive training on gaining consent to assist customers, showing empathy to the sick and their families, staying calm, keeping the casualty informed at all stages and being present with the casualty until the situation improves. They also learn how to break difficult news when required. After any incident, the cabin crew are also provided with support for their own mental health, through Emirates’ Employee Assistance Programme, the Peer Support service, and Sehaty – Emirates’ employee wellbeing programme.