Helipads cause concern: ‘I really hope we don’t lose someone’
Two hospital helipads in the Murraylands have been ready for take-off for months, but a technicality has kept either from being used.
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"This is quite literally putting lives at risk."
Member for Hammond MP Adrian Pederick is sick of waiting for two vital services to come back to the Murraylands.
Upgrades to the helipads at Murray Bridge and Mannum's hospitals were completed in April.
Yet they still sit unused, as an operator has not yet signed off on the work.
No helicopters had been able to visit the Murray Bridge hospital for 12 months, Mr Pederick said.
In the meantime, Murray Bridge Airfield – at Pallamana – and Mannum Oval were being used as alternative landing sites.
The extra distance could cost Mannum patients several critical minutes, and Murray Bridge patients up to 15, when they need to be transported to Adelaide as urgently as possible.
There was obviously a dispute happening with the operator that needed to be resolved immediately, Mr Pederick said.
"If there is some negotiation that needs to be finalised, just sort it out," he said.
"I am aware of a baby who was touch and go for a bit; thankfully they're alright but that's a story where it would've been far better to be transported by helicopter."
Another patient had needed to be stabilised for 14 hours before being transported by ambulance, Mr Pederick said, when "they should've been helicoptered immediately".
MedStar is South Australia's only emergency medical retrieval service, providing care to critically ill and injured patients.
If they are unable to use a helicopter, the Medstar team is currently coming up from Adelaide in an ambulance and stabilising patients before taking them back to the city.
"The Health Minister needs to show some strength, and show he is here for all South Australians, to make sure we have this lifesaving network working," Mr Pederick said.
"It's outrageous, the city wouldn't be putting up with this."
Mr Pederick has asked multiple questions about the issue in Parliament.
"What is it going to take?" he asked.
"I really hope we don't lose someone."
Thirteen regional helipads around the state had a joint $23.4 million investment 18 months ago to better comply with new civil aviation safety regulations.
Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network (LHN) chief executive officer Wayne Champion confirmed that work on both the Murray Bridge and Mannum helipads had since been finalised, but neither was yet operational.
Mr Champion said the LHN was committed to getting the helipads operating to ensure community members had access to the care they needed.
"I want to thank the residents and community organisations impacted by the use of these alternative sites for their understanding and patience during this period," he said.
The doctors and staff at the Bridge Clinic Medical Centre, have took some action into their own hands and wrote a letter to Health Minister Chris Picton.
"We're really concerned about patients that need to be transported to the city," Bridge Clinic general manager, Sally Jarrett said.
"We've been lobbying for some time now to get (the helicopter service) back up and running."
- Write to Health Minister Chris Picton: Email MinisterForHealth@sa.gov.au or call 7117 6500.
