Why isn’t air ambulance service working
effectively for patients in Labrador?
Recent medical emergencies in Labrador again
demonstrate the need for improvements to the air ambulance service to
serve and protect the medical needs of residents of the region, says
Opposition Leader Yvonne Jones.
Jones says that recent incidents have resulted in
emergency air ambulance transportation to St. John’s. The family of an
accident victim says their son was forced to wait 11 hours from the time
the call was made for emergency transportation from Labrador West to the
Health Sciences Centre. It was also reported that a young boy from
Labrador City had to wait 9 hours to be transported in another emergency
situation.
“When minutes can be critical in the treatment of
emergency medical conditions, it is unacceptable for patients to wait up
to 11 hours for an air ambulance flight,” said Ms. Jones. “In this
particular instance, the young man was involved in an accident on August 4th
and received serious injuries that required immediate and critical
treatment. While this individual is making progress and is expected to
recover from his injuries, his family is angry that they were forced to
wait such a long period of time to receive air ambulance service in a
potential life and death situation.
“This gap in service raises questions as to why the
system is not working effectively for patients and what can be done to
improve these emergency wait times. I am certain there are occasions when
service is provided in a more efficient manner, however, these recent
incidents in Labrador over the past couple of weeks demonstrate that there
are problems that must be addressed somewhere in the system.”
Currently, an air ambulance is stationed in St.
Anthony to service Labrador. If this plane is not available, an air
ambulance is dispatched from St. John’s. In cases where neither plane is
available, commercial airlines are used. If this option is not available,
Search and Rescue helicopters are called in for support.
“I have written to both the Minister of Health and
the Labrador-Grenfell Health Board to ask that an investigation take place
to determine the nature of these excessive delays. People in Labrador have
difficulty understanding why such delays can occur when the urgency of
life and death situations are outlined by medical professionals. Every
time there is an accident or tragic event in this region of our province,
we continuously hear the stories from families who feel a more effective
air ambulance service is needed. We cannot continue with the status quo
and a full review of the system is needed to determine how these delays
are happening.”
