HALIFAX -- Nova Scotia says its LifeFlight air ambulance service will resume hospital helipad landings by Aug. 1.
Health Minister Leo Glavine says the province has signed a $105-million deal with Canadian Helicopters Ltd. for two higher-performance Sikorsky S-76 C+ helicopters that will reduce transport times by 10 to 25 minutes.
"It really gets that patient to the critical care they need faster, or it gets the teams to the patient faster," Emergency Health Services director Larry Crewson said Thursday.
"For critical care patients, and that's who's moved by a helicopter, that can make all the difference in the world. You're talking at least a 15-minute time savings on every mission."
Crewson said the change will "absolutely" save lives.
The two Sikorskys will be able to land on helipads at the IWK Children's Hospital and the Infirmary hospital site in Halifax, as well as at Digby General Hospital, he said.
The province's previous deal with Canadian Helicopters was for a single Sikorsky S-76 that has not been able to land on hospital helipads since April due to federal regulation changes.
Crewson said the two Sikorskys have about a decade of service elsewhere, and need to be refitted with a medical interior.
"You're going from about a 70 per cent reliability to a 98 per cent reliability. It's safer for the crew flying the machine, it's safer for the patients, it's faster response time, great range, so it's quite a value," Crewson said.
He said the 15-year deal will cost about $5.9-million in its first year, up from about $3.6 million for the single, less versatile Sikorsky. Only one of the two Sikorskys will be in use at any time, to allow for servicing.
Nova Scotia's LifeFlight service is also often used by the other Maritime provinces, he said.
