Instituut voor Medische Dringende Hulpverlening

What Instituut voor Medische Dringende Hulpverlening does

Instituut voor Medische Dringende Hulpverlening (IMDH vzw) is a Belgian non-profit association (vereniging zonder winstoogmerk) founded in 1972 and headquartered at the AZ Sint-Jan hospital campus in Brugge. Its mission is dual and operational: first, it has continuously operated the MUG-Heli (Medische Urgentie Groep Helicopter), the only helicopter-based MUG service in Flanders formally recognized within Belgium's 112 emergency system, since taking over independent operations in 1986. The service runs from sunrise to sunset, is dispatched through the 112 call center, and covers West Flanders, parts of East Flanders, and Zeeland (Netherlands), reaching approximately 2 million people within a 15-minute radius, executing roughly 950 interventions per year and claiming a 10-minute time advantage over ground transport that translates to approximately 40 additional lives saved annually. The current aircraft is an EC-135 acquired from Groupe SAF in 2022, standardized to the European MUG platform.

Second, IMDH runs a portfolio of customized first aid and emergency medicine training courses, all taught by practicing emergency department and intensive care nurses. Course offerings span the low-cost Red een Leven program for 6th-grade students (€6 per student), school and business first aid, AED training, Kind & Gezin-recognized baby and toddler resuscitation, and credentialed advanced courses (EPALS at €650, ETC at €1,100) certified by the European Resuscitation Council and delivered in partnership with AZ Sint-Jan Brugge. The organization is recognized by FOD Werkgelegenheid, Arbeid en Sociaal Overleg to issue first aid attestations and registered with the Flemish KMO-portefeuille, allowing Flemish SMEs to claim back up to 30% of training costs. The MUG-Heli, which costs approximately €850,000 per year to operate, is funded primarily through the Province of West Flanders, municipal contributions, corporate sponsors, individual donations to the affiliated Stichting MUG-Heli, and branded merchandise sales. IMDH is governed by a volunteer board led by Dr. Evi Steen and operates with roughly 20 volunteers and one full-time administrator, supplemented by a credentialed 10-person instructor team.

Name

Instituut voor Medische Dringende Hulpverlening

Legal name

IMDH vzw

Website

https://imdh.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IMDH vzw is a Belgian non-profit, founded in 1972 and based in Brugge, that operates the MUG-Heli emergency medical helicopter across West Flanders, East Flanders, and Zeeland, and delivers customized first aid and advanced life support training certified under ERC, FOD, and Kind & Gezin standards to schools, businesses, healthcare professionals, and childcare providers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Medical Services and First Aid Training

NAICS

Ambulance Services (621910), Ambulance Services (62191)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Hospital-Based EMS & Mobile Integrated Health (HLAFANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ambulance Fleet, Equipment & Logistics Services (HLAFANAN), Emergency Response, First Aid/CPR/AED & Incident Management Training (BPAKAOAJ), Emergency Medical Response & On-Campus EMS/AED Programs (EDAEACAO)

Keywords

• Emergency medical services
• First aid training
• Air ambulance services
• Pediatric life support
• Trauma care courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Brugge

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorships: The MUG-Heli costs approximately 850,000 EUR per year. Funding comes from provincial contributions (Provincie West-Vlaanderen), municipal contributions, corporate sponsors, and individual donations. The organization also sells branded gadgets (mugs, USB sticks, keychains, etc.) as fundraising items.
2. Training Course Fees: IMDH generates revenue from customized first aid and emergency training courses. Pricing varies by course type: Red een Leven costs 6 EUR per student, EPALS costs 650 EUR, and ETC costs 1,100 EUR. The organization is a registered training provider for KMO-portefeuille, allowing businesses to recover up to 30% of costs through government subsidies.
3. Gadget Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including teddy bears (22 EUR), USB sticks (11 EUR), keychains (7 EUR), caps (20 EUR), first aid boxes (7 EUR), lanyards (7 EUR), pins (10 EUR), bibs (13 EUR), mouse pads (10 EUR), 3D keychains (7 EUR), badges (12 EUR), and hats (15 EUR).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IMDH vzw operates the MUG-Heli (Medische Urgentie Groep Helicopter) emergency medical helicopter service from Bruges, providing rapid airborne medical response across West Flanders, parts of East Flanders, and Zeeland with approximately 900-950 interventions annually. In parallel, the organization delivers a portfolio of customized first aid and emergency medical training courses, including Red een Leven for school children, EPALS and European Trauma Course for healthcare professionals, AED training, baby/toddler resuscitation (Kind & Gezin recognized), and tailored workplace first aid courses for businesses and organizations.

Product overview

IMDH vzw (Instituut voor Medische Dringende Hulpverlening) operates as a dual-purpose organization offering both emergency medical helicopter services and first aid training programs. The MUG-Heli provides approximately 900 emergency medical helicopter interventions annually across West Flanders, parts of East Flanders, and Zeeland, operating from AZ Sint-Jan in Brugge. The training division offers a comprehensive portfolio of customized first aid and emergency medicine courses including Red een Leven (for 6th grade students), EPALS, European Trauma Course, AED training, general first aid courses, school-specific training, Kind & Gezin-certified baby/child resuscitation, and custom business training. Courses are delivered by experienced emergency and intensive care nurses. IMDH also provides event medical standby services and branded merchandise as ancillary offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MUG-Heli (Medische Urgentie Groep Helicopter) Emergency medical helicopter service operating from AZ Sint-Jan hospital in Bruges, providing rapid response to life-threatening situations across West Flanders, parts of East Flanders, and Zeeland (Netherlands). The service operates 7 days a week between sunrise and sunset, with approximately 900-950 interventions per year and a 15-minute response capability across a coverage area of 2 million people.
• Red een Leven (Save a Life)

Quantifiable outcome

• 40 extra lives saved per year through MUG-Heli deployment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AZ Sint-Jan Brugge-OostendecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospital providing the base location for the MUG-Heli at their Brugge campus. Also collaborates with IMDH for organizing the European Trauma Course and provides emergency department head for operational oversight.
• Synq WorkwearminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored new pilot uniforms for MUG-Heli crew, providing cost-free professional workwear. Unveiled June 19, 2025.
• DuominorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner logo displayed on IMDH website as supporter.
• LiantisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner logo displayed on IMDH website as supporter.
• European Resuscitation Council (ERC)coreTechnology or IntegrationERC is the certifying body for EPALS and ETC courses organized by IMDH. All registrations go through the ERC website, and courses follow ERC standards and curriculum.
• Centre Medical Heliporte Bra-sur-LienneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical heliport center listed as partner in IMDH's network of emergency services collaboration.
• Intercommunale Kustreddingsdienst van West-VlaanderenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoastal rescue service in West Flanders listed as partner in emergency services network.
• WOBRAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization listed in IMDH's network of emergency services collaboration.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ADAC Luftrettung: Germany's largest helicopter air rescue operator, running dozens of HEMS bases across Germany. While a much larger incumbent, its operating model (helicopter EMS integrated with hospital networks) is structurally analogous to IMDH's MUG-Heli.
• Rode Kruis-Vlaanderen: The Flemish Red Cross, Belgium's largest first-aid and CPR/AED training organization with broad corporate, school, and individual course offerings. Directly competes with IMDH's training business and dwarfs it in scale and geographic reach.

Others

• European Resuscitation Council (ERC): The European body that certifies IMDH's EPALS and ETC courses. As the accrediting authority, ERC is an enabling peer — without its curriculum and instructor standards, IMDH's premium training lines could not exist.
• Kind & Gezin: Flemish government agency for child and family welfare that officially recognizes IMDH as a baby/toddler resuscitation training center. Functions as a regulatory peer/partner that gates entry to the certified childcare training segment.
• Stichting MUG-Heli: The separate foundation that fundraises for IMDH's MUG-Heli operations. It is a financial/institutional sibling rather than competitor, but functions as a tightly coupled peer entity supporting IMDH's helicopter economics.

Regional players

• ÖAMTC Flugrettung: Austrian automobile club's helicopter emergency medical service, operating multiple HEMS bases across Austria. Analogous to IMDH in being a non-state-affiliated EMS helicopter operator funded through a mix of memberships, donations, and public contracts.
• London's Air Ambulance Charity: UK charity-funded helicopter EMS serving Greater London with physician-paramedic teams dispatched via emergency systems. Operates under a similar charity + government partnership funding model, though serving an urban rather than mixed rural-urban geography.

Direct peers

• Centre Médical Héliporté de Bra-sur-Lienne: Belgian medical helicopter service listed by IMDH as a network partner. Operates a comparable MUG-equivalent helicopter EMS model in a different Belgian region (Wallonia), making it the closest functional peer to IMDH's MUG-Heli operation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/IMDHvzw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imdh---instituut-voor-medische-dringende-hulpverlening---mug-heli

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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