Discussions are in the works about putting a temporary STARS Air Ambulance landing pad in Saskatoon.
The province, STARS, the health region, Meewasin Valley Authority and the University of Saskatchewan are all involved in the talks.
The current helipad is near Wilson’s Greenouse, just off McCormand Drive. Right now, patients picked up by STARS need to land and transferred to MD ambulance to be taken the remaining distance to the hospital. The drive is approximately eight minutes long, and according to the ministry of health, those minutes can have a major impact on the patient.
The ministry of health said they want the helipad near Royal University Hospital, but there are still a lot of details to iron out.
“What's the current state of the site? What work go into developing a temporary landing site? The safety and care of patients what is adjacent to the temporary site and any considerations that might involve for safety of providers or others,” said Deb Jordan, the executive director of emergency services at the ministry of health.
No location has been decided, and there approvals still need to be processed.
The new helipad will be temporary. A permanent one will be placed on the Children’s Hospital once it’s completed, but in the meantime, the new location could be used for up to three years until it’s complete.
