It just don't fly

It was bound to cause an uproar when people are used to a service in their area for 55 years, to then suddenly learn (without any lede-in time really) that it's cut, gone, taken.

Should be no wonder to Health Minister Jerome Kennedy (nor to anyone in his department) that people on the Northern Peninsula were going to protest this move of the air ambulance to Goose Bay, and that is what they did and will likely continue to do.

Can't really blame them when there are too many unanswered questions. There are questions over the number of medivacs-if the numbers in the consultants report really reflect the real numbers.

Minister Kennedy explained the move of the air ambulance to Goose Bay (a central location) was in the best interest of the majority of the province. If that is true, then, is it an admission from the minister that, for the last 55 years the plane was in St. Anthony, it was not in the best interest of the whole province, only in the interest of those on the Northern Peninsula?

And, there are some questions around why there is a need for an air ambulance to be stationed in St. John's. The justification from Government is there is a need because it is used to transport (for example) a specialized neonatal team from St. John's. They wouldn't want to have to go to St. John's (let's say from Deer Lake) and then backtrack to the patient in need.

Well, it's all speculation because no one can ever say when and where an emergency call will come in or where a specialized team may be needed.

For sure an air ambulance wouldn't be used to transport many on the Avalon Peninsula to St. John's and if there was a transfer to (say) Halifax, most likely we can assume the patient would be stabilized for travel in the major medical facilities located in St. John's.

In that sense, there is an argument to have the two air ambulances stationed where there is neither right now-Labrador West and Deer Lake (or even Gander). Then we could easily say they are centrally located.

For the people on the Northern Peninsula, the anger and rage is easily expected. Of course they are charging that this decision is punishment for not electing a Tory in the recent by-election. The timing is suspect for sure.

Of course the residents of Happy Valley-Goose Bay and the surrounding area are most delighted with this move. Who doesn't want an air ambulance in their backyard?

In Labrador West, some people say it's a shade better than the pathetic excuse for air ambulance service that they've been forced to put up with ever since the towns' inception. So, many consider it an improvement over the oftentimes-ridiculous service the area has known.

But the decision simply don't fly for the many in Labrador West who maintain a third aircraft should have been added to the province's air ambulance service and (as George Kean noted in this week's news story) no one in Labrador West asked that this be taken from St. Anthony-at least not publicly.

Marshall Dean (MHA for Straits and White Bay North) has a strong point when he says a comprehensive review needs to be done.

The consultant's review, he pointed out, was focused on the service in Northern Newfoundland and Labrador. It's not an unreasonable request to have the whole province included in such a review, especially when one of two air ambulances is stationed in the portion of the province that was left out of the assessment. If the review process had been more involved, then maybe it would be easier to sell the decision to the people. When the geography is as complex as it is in Newfoundland and Labrador-in order to cover an ample number of bases-it just makes good sense to have a thorough review when it come to any life-saving service.

And who knows what can happen, now that the minister has taken Kean up on an offer to come in and meet with people in Labrador West (including representatives from the mining companies)?

Perhaps the private mining companies will help finance an air ambulance for the area, after all the lion's share of services have been provided by those mining companies for a long time taking huge financial burdens off the province time and time again. Consider the current hospital, the schools and even hydro-electricity-Labrador West and its mining companies have been very, very kind to the taxpayers of this province. No harm to remind Government of that significant fact.

Michelle Stewart,editor@theaurora.ca