Aviation medicine must return to the horizons

This note was published on April 5, 2022

The Communications, Infrastructure and Transportation Commission of the House of Representatives She is working on an initiative to amend the Civil Aviation Act, with the aim of the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (horizons) Responsible for managing the matter in Mexico, so that international recommendations are met and the safety of air operations is protected.

The committee is chaired by the deputy Victor Manuel Perez Diaz, He had talks with retired General Victor Manuel Rico Jaime, a specialist surgeon and master’s degree in space medicine, as well as the founder of the first program in this specialty in Army and Air Force University In 1985 to work on this initiative.

to me General Rico JimmyThere are two main reasons why this proposal was created: the first is to comply with the Convention on International Civil Aviation, better known as the Chicago Convention, which stipulates that space medicine be supervised by the aviation authority of each signatory country. from the treaty.

The second reason is that once this step is taken, the growth and development of space medicine in Mexico will return, in addition to the fact that doctors belonging to this field from AFAC, or third parties authorized to perform medical examinations, have a minimum training at diploma level to certify professionally and with the best Standards air medical personnel physical fitness, Thus, it contributes to the safety of operations.

If we want to be a country in line with development and to be honest, we must first abide by the treaty. The return of space medicine to the Aeronautical Authority is fundamental to recover the level that was lost many years ago, for the benefit of our country and the safety of flight operations ”stressed Rico Jaime.

for his part, Octavio Amezcua, surgeon and pilot, member of the Mexican Society of Aviation Medicine And an expert in human factors, that proposing this decree is a good idea for civil aviation in Mexico, because it is considered that medical examinations of psychological and physical competence for aviation workers and the issuance of licenses should be issued by the AFAC, since this is how it is established in practice all over the world, In accordance with the recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization. He added that the person in charge of this field should also be a specialist in space medicine, and not someone without knowledge for that matter.

This is the second time that commission Focus efforts to achieve this goal. Last year, the congressional group corresponding to the LXIII Legislature promoted an in-chamber decree to bring aerospace medicine back to the aviation authority; However, the proposal was not approved.

Amezcua added that in addition to modifying the civil aviation law, It is necessary to create a specialized regulation for technical personnel in the field of aviation, because “AFAC cannot take the same regulation of transport medicine and make it its own for flight crew examinations, but it must be adapted by professionals in the matter.”

Both specialists agreed that achieving this goal would help at a time when national aviation finds itself against FAABecause it will solve the problem of who supervises the medical examination, an area in which the United States authorities found deficiencies during their audit of Mexican aviation and led to the deterioration of Category 2.