The Lyell McEwin Hospital in Adelaide’s north now has a helicopter landing pad.
Until now, emergency helicopters had to land at nearby Mofflin Reserve and patients were then transported to the hospital by ambulance.
The helipad opened on Monday and has already been used three times – twice on Friday night and once on Tuesday.
Intensive care director Toby Thomas says the helipad will help to save lives.
“The ability now to not have to double-handle patients from an oval nearby to Lyell McEwin and then pick them up, in and out of ambulances and then in and out of the hospital, means that you don’t shake people around with fractured legs and arms and so on,” he said.
“So pain relief, blood loss – many different aspects of critical illness are improved.”
Dr Dan Ellis, the director of South Australia’s emergency medical retrieval service MedSTAR, says the helipad will shave about 20 minutes off travel time.
“Every time you move a patient from one area – with all the tubes and lines – as you can imagine everything has to be done very carefully,” he said.
“There is a bit of variation in the time, but roughly the rule of thumb internationally is [it takes] 20 minutes for a secondary transfer.”
Dr Thomas says the helipad will also ease pressure on other hospitals.
The helipad is part of the Lyell McEwin Hospital’s $300 million redevelopment, which is due to finish late next year.
There are already helipads at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and the Flinders Medical Centre.
Source: ABC News