¥ YOUR COMMUNITY
_ NEWSPAPER SINCE 1969

THE

C

A SURGEON from Lions Gate Hospital is among a group
of B.C. doctors lobbying the provincial government to up-
date its emergency air ambulance service in the Lower
Mainland.

Dr. Norman Hamilton said if a
medical helicopter, which he liken-
ed to a ‘*mabile hospital,’’ was
available on a full-time basis in the
Lower Mainland, at least one in

A SKATEBOARDER takes joyous flight at the Transworld Skateboard Championships hosted Monday
at North Vancouver District’s Seylyan Skateboard Bowl. The international event attracted over 45 of the
world’s top professional skateboard competitors, Steve Caballero from the United States won the event's
professional bank bowl riding category, beating out 17 other boarders. North Vancouver's Dave Opko
and Dan Arnold piaced ninth and 15th respectively.

is back:

By KIM PEMBERTON
News Reporter

five trauma victims could be saved.

But a spokesman from the B.C.
Heaith Ministry said the gov-
ernment doesn’t need to buy a
medically-equipped helicopter
because commercial helicopters
can be chartered when needed.

Ministry information director
lan Smith said some of these
commercial helicopters ure medi-
cally equipped, but he did not
know how many.

Smith said helicopters are not
generally needed in the Lower
Mainland, because there is a ‘‘very
thorough roud ambulance — net-
work.’ He added B.C.’s am-
bulunce service is one of the best in
Canada.

But Hamilton said while the
provincial government could make
iat claim when it began its
emergency service in 1974, it no
longer can. He said the province
hasn't kept pace with innovations
in the treatment of trauma pa-
Hents.

“The difficulty is convincing
Victoria that the provincial system
needs to be improved upon,’’ said
Hamilton.

“I'm afraid Victoria thinks its
emergency system is really great,
but unfortunately it hasn't kept up
to world standards. What has
evolved is the concept of trauma
centres and rapid transport.’'

Hamiiton said a 24-hour medical
helicopter, which would cost about
$60,000 per month, would be the
first step to improve the system.
He said hospitals would also need
to be equipped with helicopter
landing pads and to develop a
trauma care program.

‘It seems like a fot of money,
but if you cun save one life in five
| would say it's money well spent.

“The victims are usually youns
people who have their full lives
ahead of them,"’ he said.

VITAL ROLE

Hamilton said an air ambulance
would play a vital role in accidents
that occur in) places such as
Whistler Mountain or the
Squamish Highway, where a
ground ambulance would not be
able to take a victim to definitive
treatment within 15 minutes.

He said the Armed Forces’
Comox base on Vancouver Island
has fully-equipped medical
helicopters, but its response time
to central Vancouver is about one
hour and 35 minutes.

Capt. Grant McDonald, from
Armed Forces’ Search and Rescue,
said his department assists on as
many as 100 medical evacuation
calls each vear for the provincial
Emergency Health Services.

But he said the Armed Forces’
five helicopters, although equipped
for medical emergencies, are
dedicated for search and rescue.
He said their helicopters would not
be sent to an accident scene in the
Vancouver area, because of the
1}2-mile distance from Comox.

Hamilton said he is aware of a
medically-equipped commercia!
helicopter at Vancouver Interna-
tional Airport, which would be of
great use in local emergencies.

But he said it is not being ‘‘used
to any great extent’ by Emergency
Health Services.

Smith said the helicopter is used
when needed.

NO APOLOGIES

“We have nothing to apologize
for,’ said Smith. ‘‘Some people
are very impressed with the
American system where hospitals
have their own helicopters which
allow them in effect to compete for
accident patients.

a

LGH Dr. Norman Hamilton
“the difficulty is convincing
Victoria that the provincial system
needs to be improved....""

“But our hospitals are not in
competition,’ he said.

“Having a helicopter sitting on
the roof of Lions Gate Hospital
makes no sense. There’s a myth
that you sit a helicopter down
anywhere, but in an accident scene
in an urban environment a
helicopter could cause chaos.
We've found them to be more
useful in remote, wilderness set-
tings.””

Hamilton said he would still like
to see a helicopter landing pad at
Lions Gate Hospital because of the
number of accident victims coming
to the hospital fron: Whistler.

He said time is lost when com-
mercial helicopters, carrying these
patients, must land a few blocks
away from the hospital at Grand
Boulevard.

John Borthwick, president. of
Lions Gate Hospital, said two
years ago the hospital applied to

See LGH
Page 10