Air ambulances still out at 7 B.C. hospitals
Helijet hoping for temporary exemption to resume landing privileges
Seven hospitals on B.C.'s South Coast and Vancouver Island were still without air ambulance services Wednesday after Transport Canada suspended landing privileges for the helicopters that transport patients there.
Transport Canada and Helijet, the company that has the contract to provide air ambulance services at several B.C. hospitals, have been trying to find a solution, which could include granting a temporary exemption to Helijet.
A federal exemption would allow Helijet aircraft to land at the affected hospitals.
Since last Friday, the air ambulances have no been able to land at seven hospitals including Vancouver General Hospital, Royal Columbian Hospital, Surrey Memorial Hospital, Nanaimo General and B.C. Children's Hospital.
Other affected hospitals are in Comox and Sechelt.
Rick Hill, Helijet's vice president commercial and business programs, has described the problem as an administrative issue he hopes will be resolved soon.
Transport Canada cites safety
Transport Canada declined an interview request, but a spokesperson said in an email there are safety concerns about the helicopters' ability to safely operate in urban areas where the affected hospitals are located.
"Recent inspections discovered areas of non-compliance with requirements for the helicopters to be able to maneuver during engine failure while operating in built-up urban areas," said Transport Canada's Natasha Gauthier in an email.
One specific requirement is that the helicopters provide a "vertical visibility pilot door which improves the pilot's ability to see the landing area immediately below the aircraft in the event of an emergency landing."
As for a possible exemption, the email said Transport Canada only issues exemptions following a rigorous risk assessment.
"Conditions associated with the exemption include mitigation to ensure an equivalent level of safety is maintained, Gauthier wrote.
Meanwhile, the province says the lack of air ambulances at the affected hospitals has not affected patient care. For now, patients using air ambulances are flown to a nearby airport, then driven by ambulance to hospital.
Paramedics trained to treat critically ill people are with the patients the whole time.
"We continue to use alternative landing sites in the meantime, with ground ambulance transfer to hospital, and to ensure patients are accompanied at all times by paramedics."
The problem began last Friday after Transport Canada informed Helijet that it was not complying with federal landing regulations at some hospital landing pads.
Helijet's air ambulances perform approximately 700 landings on hospital rooftops each year, according to the province.