Outside of a few finishing touches, the new helipad at St. Joseph's Hospital is almost ready for use.
Constructed to allow the STARS air ambulance to land in Estevan, the helipad will be the first functioning pad at a hospital in Saskatchewan.
Greg Hoffort, the executive director of the hospital, said they are excited to see the pad being constructed and noted that due to funding cutbacks in the 2013 budget, a number of other helipads in the province were delayed for a year.
"We went at it pretty aggressively last year and got our designs done and the contracts tendered," he said. "Because we had done some of the work already, we were able to keep ours in last year's budget and keep ours on the table."
Although they were able to escape the axe, Hoffort said they didn't go completely unscathed as some of their funding was cut which forced them to make adjustments.
"We had to redesign so it was essential, and we got our contractor Ed Turnbull to come to the table and re-price a modified design. We are still going to be a little bit of money short here that we will have to fundraise but we got to the point where it was still possible to continue."
Hoffort said the pad was a much-needed item at the hospital as each time the STARS helicopter came to Estevan, members of the local fire and police departments were called on to secure the area. Once the pad is in operation they will not be needed.
"We've been landing on the road and it is such an inconvenience, we have to mobilize the fire department and the police. It just needs to happen for patient safety."
Hoffort estimates the pad should be in operation before the end of June provided everything goes as expected. He added another positive development is that approval has been given for a pad at the General Hospital in Regina. Currently the STARS helicopter lands at the Regina airport and the patient is loaded into a waiting ambulance.
Hoffort also touched on the drive to get a CT Scan for the local hospital.
He said there are no new developments, although he is expecting to speak with Health Minister Dustin Duncan in the near future.
Earlier this year a local delegation made a presentation to the province that would see the CT Scan purchased with local funds. The plan also guaranteed local funding to pay for the first two years of operation.
Hoffort said their goal remains to have the scan operational in 2014.
