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THURSDAY APRIL 11 2013
• Schoolboy loses mohawk in fundraiser for cancer • Beckenham students expand sporting horizons
Councillors ‘dithering’ on election p6-7
rolls royces of mobility p8
a lifetime of painting p16
Helipad to make ‘life or death’ difference in action: The Westpac Rescue Helicopter flying above Hagley Park. Photo: Supplied Samantha Early | samantha@mainlandpress.co.nz
A HELIPAD on the roof of Christchurch Hospital would save enough time in patient transfers to be the difference between life and death for some, according to Canterbury’s rescue helicopter operator. Plans for a helipad are included in the multi-million-dollar redevelopment of Christchurch Hospital, which is now the only tertiary hospital in New Zealand not to have one. Currently, helicopters delivering patients have to land in Hagley Park, where the patients are loaded in to an ambulance for the short journey to the hospital.
The general manager for Garden City Helicopters, which operates the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, Simon Duncan, said a study had been done on the time-savings from a helipad. “We worked out we would save approximately 12 minutes of transport time by landing on the roof, which for critical patients could mean the difference between life and death.” As a comparison, Mr Duncan said 12 minutes was how long it took the helicopter to fly from Christchurch to Akaroa. He said a rooftop helipad would improve the safety of popular Hagley
Simon Duncan
Park, as on busy days the helicopter would land there up to six times. Other benefits included reducing double handling with inter-hospital transfers as there would be no need to involve ambulance services, keeping them free for emergency calls. However, only the twin-engine Westpac Rescue Helicopter, which last year completed 550 missions, would be able to land on the roof. “Our back-up machines and some of the regional helicopters are single-engine so they will still need to go into the park on the odd occasion,” Mr Duncan said. He said talks had been held in the past
with the Canterbury District Health Board about putting a helipad on the existing hospital and some testing had been done, but since the emergency department was now moving in the redevelopment it was important for the helipad to be coordinated with that. Last month the Government announced it had set aside about $500 million to fund the redevelopments at Christchurch and Burwood hospitals, with an additional $100 million due to come from the Canterbury District Health Board. The Christchurch Hospital redevelopments are due for completion in 2018. More chopper news page 3.
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