Air ambulances still out at 7 B.C. hospitals

Seven hospitals on B.C.'s South Coast and Vancouver Island werestill 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 atseveral B.C. hospitals, have beentrying to find asolution, which couldinclude granting a temporary exemption to Helijet.

• B.C. air ambulances barred from landing at 7 hospitals

A federalexemption would allow Helijet aircraft to land at the affected hospitals.

Since last Friday, the air ambulances have no been able to landat seven hospitals includingVancouver 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 emailthere 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'sNatasha 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 saidTransport Canada only issues exemptions following a rigorous risk assessment.

"Conditions associated with the exemption include mitigation to ensurean equivalent level of safety is maintained, Gauthier wrote.

Meanwhile, the province says the lack of air ambulances at the affected hospitals hasnot 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 Fridayafter Transport Canada informed Helijetthatit was not complyingwith federal landing regulations at some hospital landing pads.

Helijet's air ambulances performapproximately 700 landings on hospital rooftops each year, according to the province.