According to the Lakeland Communities Health Advisory Council, there’s no real danger to patients during ground transportation.
The council is a regional advisory body to Alberta Health Services (AHS) and, according to its website, “enhances and develops partnerships between the province’s diverse communities and Alberta Health Services.”
The council recently held a meeting with municipal representatives in the Lakeland area. Athabasca town councillor Nichole Adams relayed the information she received during last Tuesday’s town council meeting, particularly the information regarding STARS.
Most important, perhaps, is the assurance that Athabasca patients being transported to the Athabasca Regional Airport for STARS flights are not in any danger.
“The doctors and the directors of the hospital do not believe that patient safety is at risk by taking them on ground transport to the airport,” Adams said. “They don't believe that they would be putting unstable patients on a helicopter anyway, even if it could land at the hospital. They would try to stabilize the patient before putting them on transport.”
She added that it’s quicker using ground transportation to get patients to a city hospital anyway.
“They would only consider a flight if there were other patient concerns; the patient can't go on a bumpy road or something.”
She says there’s been some discussion on budget constraints – particularly if the costs of transporting patients to the airport will be an issue.
“We received assurances that there will not be budget constraints and they will not be denying people transportation based on that,” said Adams. “They're aware we only have two ambulances and they're also looking at whether we need an additional ambulance.”
AHS is currently doing a feasibility study on whether the Athabasca hospital needs a helipad. According to Adams, they’re open to the idea, but they need to do a study to be sure.
That said, Athabasca is not the only community with this problem.
“There's a couple other communities in the same position we are. They either don't have a helipad at all or they don't have one that meets regulations,” said Adams. “Alberta Health is looking at the whole north region to determine what their priorities are.
“So, we might not get a helipad at all, or we may be on the list but may not be on the top of the list.”
