Lack of pilots is the reason being given for the suspension of the Southern Air Ambulance Program.
The program had provided transfers between facilities via specially equipped aircraft for trips that would have taken more than two and a half hours by road ambulance.
Michelle Gawronsky, president of the Manitoba Government Employees Union, that represents the pilots in the program, believes the closing of the program is putting Manitoban’s healthcare at risk. She also says that overworked paramedics in rural Manitoba will be physically taxed by now having to add more inter-facilty transports causing fatigue due to long drives.
The STARS emergency air ambulance program and emergency Life Flight are operating as usual
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