Midlands paramedics use premier's helicopter to save woman's life in quake zone

Ed Hullah, 24, from Newcastle-on-Clun, near Craven Arms, and fellow West Midlands Ambulance Service paramedic Phil Llewellyn, 45, from Worcester, are being hailed as heroes after asking Prime Minister Sushil Koirala to lend them his helicopter.

The two flew out to Nepal to help with the aid mission after a first earthquake on April 25 killed more than 8,000 people and destroyed hundreds of thousands of buildings.

More than 100 people are thought to have died in a second big tremor that struck on Tuesday, causing further damage and landslides.

Speaking from Kathmandu yesterday, Ed said they had been in Charikot, the epicentre of the earthquake, treating patients and the Prime Minister was visiting the scene.

The two were confronted with a woman who had been caught in a landslide and hit on the head and chest by large rocks, fracturing her skull and breaking her ribs.

Ed said: "After almost an hour, we were still being told that there were no helicopters available to evacuate this patient to Kathmandu.

"Neither of us could really understand why nobody would ask the prime minister directly if we could use the aircraft.

"Eventually, I went and asked the pilot to come and look at the patient, still intubated and being manually ventilated.

"When he did, Phil explained that if we didn't move the lady quickly she would die. The pilot went straight to the prime minister, who immediately authorised the use of his helicopter."

The woman, named by doctors as 70-year-old Manamaya B.K, was taken to

Kathmandu army hospital where she underwent several hours of surgery. She is now recovering.

Ed said on their return to Charikot they met the Prime Minister who shook their hands. Mr Kiorala is reported to have said: "It is our duty. We do the maximum. We leave no stone unturned."