Nipawin region seeks heliport for STARS at Nipawin Hospital. (file photo/CKOM News Staff)

By Doug Lett

STARS Spot

Nipawin region seeks heliport

Oct 25, 2022 | 5:00 PM

There’s a push to get a heliport built at Nipawin’s regional hospital to use as a spot for STARS helicopters to land and pick up critically injured patients.

Mayor Rennie Harper said they’ve really seen the need in the last few years.

“On a couple of occasions now where there have been tragic incidents in the province, including the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, a lot of folks were flown out of here, or transferred here and flown out of here by STARS,” Harper said.

She said initially STARS helicopters were landing in a field not far from the hospital, but that was stopped because of the problems involved.

“People were going through snowbanks, transferring people to the helicopter…. ultimately Transport Canada determined that wasn’t appropriate, and so they’ve moved the landing pad for the STARS choppers to the airport,” Harper said.

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The airport is almost three kilometers from the hospital.

She said the extra distance adds time and complexity to patient transfers, where every minute can be crucial. The extra time also ties up both STARS personnel, and staff from the hospital.

“Each time a patient is transferred there is the opportunity for increased risk, so it would eliminate one transfer by having it right outside the doors of the Nipawin hospital,” Harper said.

She added they’ve had discussions with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), and have been given approval to build a heliport. Plans have also been drawn up. But the cost of the project is around $600,000. So far, she estimates around $200,000 has been raised, including a sizable donation from the Humboldt Strong Charitable Foundation.

The Nipawin hospital serves a large region in the province’s northeast, Harper said, and so the nine municipalities involved in the Twin Lakes District Planning Commission have decided to join forces to try to raise the money.

“Fundraising will have to take place, because we need the funds in place before we put a shovel in the ground,” said Harper. “We’re establishing a committee to look at fundraising.”

A pamphlet produced for the campaign says while upfront capital costs will be the responsibility of the municipalities, the SHA will handle maintenance and operational costs.

Harper said donations can be made at any of the nine participating municipalities, including Nipawin, Carrot River, Tobin Lake and Choiceland.

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doug.lett@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @DougLettSK