Interior Health said it partners with BC Emergency Health Services to connect patients travel by plane or helicopter at the airport
A helipad is not part of the redevelopment of Cariboo Memorial Hospital, Interior Health has confirmed.
"Although initial discussions related to the CMH redevelopment considered including a helipad, it was determined due to the limited number of patient transports to CMH that a helipad wasn’t ideal for patient flow and care," noted an emailed response from Interior Health (IH) on Tuesday, Nov. 19.
To transport patients currently, IH said it partners with BC Emergency Health Services to connect patients with plane or helicopter travel departing from an airport and those modes of transportation are made available through prioritization across the province.
Citing an example, IH said this includes most recently a high response during the bus accident in June near 100 Mile House which saw seven air ambulances respond.
In Williams Lake, fixed-wing aircraft are predominantly used to respond to emergency incidents, but both air ambulance aircraft typically transport patients to other trauma hospitals, such as Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops, Kelowna General Hospital or hospitals in the Lower Mainland.
Helicopters are more likely to respond from the scene of an accident directly to a higher level of care, bypassing CMH, IH said.
Interior Health noted its priority is to get patients from Williams Lake and the surrounding area the right care in the right place as quickly as possible. This includes options for transporting patients to alternate locations based on their care needs.
The health authority noted it will continue to evaluate the transportation needs for Cariboo Memorial Hospital as we invest in updates to the local hospital and services.
