Switzerland. Canton Ticino. Lugano. Ospedale Civico. The Rega has rescued an elderly man lying on a stretcher and suffering from a heart problem. The Rega crew (Left to right: the paramedic Paolo Menghetti, the Doctor Michele Musiari and the pilot Corrado Sasselli ) push a stretcher on their way to the emergency room. All Rega helicopters carry a crew of three: a pilot, an emergency physician, and a paramedic who is also trained to assist the pilot for radio communication, navigation, terrain/object avoidance, and winch operations. (Left to right) Damiano Salmina is the doctor, Mario Agustini the pilot and Giovanni Beldi the paramedic. The name Rega was created by combining letters from the name "Swiss Air Rescue Guard" as it was written in German (Schweizerische Rettungsflugwacht), French (Garde Aérienne Suisse de Sauvetage), and Italian (Guardia Aerea Svizzera di Soccorso). Rega is a private, non-profit air rescue service that provides emergency medical assistance in Switzerland. Rega mainly assists with mountain rescues, though it will also operate in other terrains when needed, most notably during life-threatening emergencies. As a non-profit foundation, Rega does not receive financial assistance from any government. 10.09.2017 © 2017 Didier Ruef