New EHS LifeFlight airplane transporting non-critical care patients
The new service will transport non-critical patients from Yarmouth and Sydney to Halifax for tests and treatment. It frees up ground ambulances and paramedics for local emergency calls, reduces wait times and saves patients hours of travel by road.
Travelling by plane will take about an hour each way, compared with about five hours by ambulance. It will also be more comfortable for patients.
The plane can carry two to four patients per trip with three round trips daily. That means up to 12 ambulances a day will staying in communities.
The demand on emergency health services is growing and the best place for ambulances and paramedics to be is in their communities, helping people when an emergency strikes. This new plane will also drastically reduce the time it takes for patients to access the healthcare they need and return home sooner.
- Michelle Thompson, Minister of Health and Wellness
As a paramedic of 13 years, part of that time in a support capacity at EHS LifeFlight, I am excited to go from working behind the scenes to a clinical environment in the new aircraft. This new program will not only enhance the overall patient experience and benefit the system, but it will also improve conditions for paramedics. Long-haul transport medicine takes a toll on paramedics, and this program will free up resources allowing them to respond to medical emergencies closer to home.
- Daniel Gee, primary care paramedic, EHS Operations