RFDS loses vital contract

The South Eastern section of Australia's Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS SE) has unexpectedly lost its contract to run Air Ambulance Victoria when the current arrangement ends in 2011. The RFDS has supplied fully serviced and piloted aircraft with emergency medical facilities and equipment to Air Ambulance Victoria for the past 12 years, and many are concerned that the loss of the AU$70-million contract could affect the flying doctor's historic emergency role - the RFDS Essendon base has four aero-medically equipped King Air B200 aircraft and 36 staff.

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