DIDSBURY - The helipad at the Didsbury hospital is nearing completion.
Larry Law, Alberta Health Services (AHS) director of design and construction/project management, says that although it is mostly complete, it could take a couple of months before the helipad receives the go ahead from Transport Canada and is operational.
“The local Rosebud Health Foundation came to us a few years ago and asked if we were interested in them participating in rebuilding and reconstructing the helipad so the (STARS) helicopters could land there,” Law said.
“The helipad there was closed for some time because it didn't meet Transport Canada standards.”
Right now the patients have to be taken from ground ambulance to the municipal airport in order to access the helicopters, he said.
“Its about nine kilometres from the hospital,” he said. “That will continue to support the hospital until we are finished. We are in the final stages of construction.”
As well, STARS lands at a church parking lot close to the hospital to pick up patients.
Construction of the helipad, which has a price tag of $450,000, began this spring.
AHS originally put the tender out last year but it came in over budget.
“We waited over the winter and tendered it this spring and got a real good price from a public tender,” he said. “It was below what the foundation's budget was so we proceeded.”
The helipad will allow better access to emergency care for patients in the community and the area, he said.
“The ability to have trained, specialty trained medical personnel from STARS on site in the emergency department of the Didsbury hospital will help improve patient outcomes,” he said.
The major work is done for the helipad but they still need the go-ahead from Transport Canada, which must approve the helipad before any choppers can land, he said.
“We're lining Transport Canada up to come in and certify the helipad,” he said. “That's the next step. That could take some time; they're very busy. They fly in and do tests and make sure the flight paths and all the lightings are in place and all the obstacles are looked after. If there are any discrepancies or deficiencies they will lay it out for us.”
Law said the process can take several months.
Once approved, the helipad will allow all current STARS helicopters to land and take off.
“It was expanded in order to assure helicopters larger than the BK117 such as STARS' larger AW139 helicopters can land at the hospital,” he said. “It'll accommodate anything manufactured out there right now for health care.”
Albert Ohlhauser and Clem Kuelker of the Rosebud Foundation said the community has been very supportive of the project from the very beginning.
“Everything looks quite nice,” said Kuelker of the work done.
Having the helipad at the hospital is a huge improvement over having helicopters land at the airport or even the Zion church, he added.
“The community embraced this project whole-heartedly,” he said. “The money was raised in two years. We actually had given ourselves three years to do that. It was supported from all angles: the Town of Didsbury, the Town of Carstairs, the county, all the major contributors, all the associations such as the Elks, Lions, the hospital auxiliary.
“We had a number of contributors that added to the pot.”
Officials expect to have a ribbon cutting ceremony down the road with all the major contributors to the project, he said.
