Hospital helipad damaged by vandals puts patients at risk

Vandalism at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance might be putting the lives of critically injured or ill patients in danger.

Police said that since May, vandals have broken several marker and fixture lights on the hospital's helipad, which is used by Ornge. Ornge is the air ambulance service used to transfer patients in Ontario.

The vandalism has occurred multiple times during the last few months. Nine lights were broken during one instance.

Sarah Padfield speaks for the health alliance and said without those lights, Ornge air ambulances cannot land.

"This is a direct patient-care link for patients in our community to have access to other hospitals; to get the care that they might need in a very quick time," Padfield said. "It's not like vandalizing schoolyards which is terrible but this could really be a life-threatening event."

Padfield said no patients required transfer when the lights were broken and awaiting repair.

"But if it happens in the middle of the night and it happens to be an hour later that a patient need to be transferred out we may not have the amount of time to resolve it," Padfield said.

Peter Cunnington, a director of flight operations with Ornge said pilots would have to arrange for a nearby landing site if they arrived to a damaged helipad at the hospital.

"The public needs to know that damage to a helipad is a serious issue and impacts the safety of the patients and our pilots," Cunnington said.

Padfield said hospital staff and Transport Canada are trying to find better ways to secure the helipad on Grand Avenue West in Chatham.

Const. Renee Cowell of the Chatham-Kent Police said there is no reason to believe that Ornge is being specifically targeted.

However, she also said there are no suspects at this time.

Anyone who witnesses suspicious activities around the helipad should contact Chatham-Kent police or Crime Stoppers.