A safety crackdown which is likely to prevent rescue
helicopters from landing at Waikato Hospital has been
described as "totally unacceptable" by a district health
board member.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) requires all helicopters
to meet special conditions in order to approach, hover and
take off over built up areas near a helipad. Letters were
sent to all district health boards earlier this year
outlining the need to comply with aviation rules.
The requirement means that single engine rescue helicopters
that now land at Waikato Hospital from Tauranga, Rotorua,
Taupo and Taranaki would instead have to land at a "safe
site" that meets regulations.
The Waikato Times reported that a possible landing site
option was a vacant block of land a few blocks away though a
number of sites were being considered.
The patients were very sick and were often being transported
to intensive care, district health board member Jack Havill
said.
"What has been suggested will involve double transferring
instead of just coming straight to Waikato as the patient
will have to be put into an ambulance; this will cause longer
delays and put the patient at more risk," Mr Havill said.
The flight policy can be broken if there is an emergency and
audits on compliance would begin in September.
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