A SERIOUSLY ill day-old baby was flown yesterday from Cork University Maternity Hospital to a unit at Leicester in a Royal Navy rescue helicopter with a specialist medical team on board.
The baby was born on Thursday when it was quickly diagnosed as being in a critical condition requiring specialist treatment in an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation machine available at Leinster's Glenfield Hospital.
The machine can take over heart or lung function of patients. The HSE would not reveal the baby's identity, gender or illness.
The Royal Navy helicopter Rescue 193 was sent from Cornwall where it collected the specialist team and an incubator before heading to Cork Airport early yesterday.
After preparing the baby the medical team took off from Cork for its mercy flight to England shortly before lunchtime yesterday.