Q COSTA RICA — Costa Rica is quietly revolutionizing emergency medical care with its nighttime air ambulance flights, a service that’s proving to be a lifesaver for many in critical situations. Traditionally, air ambulance flights have been limited to daylight hours due to safety concerns and regulatory constraints. After months of uncertainty since Civil Aviation banned most nighttime air ambulance flights last October, Costa Rica has finally approved a national protocol to regulate them. Now, nighttime air ambulance flights will be permitted from only five airfields and airports: Limón, Palmar Sur, Coto 47 near Ciudad Neily, Tobías Bolaños in Pavas, and Daniel Oduber in Liberia, in addition to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO). Nighttime air ambulance flights will be available only for critically ill patients with imminent risk to their lives and when it is not possible to wait until daylight for the transfer.