A life-saving helipad at the Royal Hobart Hospital is a step closer after it was endorsed by the Hobart City Council Planning Committee last night.
The addition of a helipad, which the previous Labor-Green Government incredibly removed from the hospital design, will eliminate critical transfer time for emergency patients.
The Hodgman Liberal Government welcomes last night’s recommendation by the Committee that the helipad should be approved.
Hobart is currently the only Australian capital not to have proper air access capability to its major tertiary hospital – this must end.
When it comes to the helipad and the hospital project the Liberal Government’s number one priority is saving the lives of Tasmanians. This should continue to be everyone’s number one priority.
We are working with the Theatre Royal in relation to noise, noting that it is already the case that emergency patients are currently being transported by road ambulance with siren noise.
The helipad has received a groundswell of support from Ambulance Tasmania, from senior clinicians, and most overwhelmingly from the Tasmanian community.
Professor Marcus Skinner, the director of anaesthesia at the Royal, who was formerly involved in RAAF air rescues in tsunami-hit Indonesia, is a strong supporter of the helipad.
Professor Skinner estimates that at least a life a year could be saved when the 30-minute transfer from the Domain helipad is eliminated.
We look forward to the Hobart City Council’s approval of this life-saving infrastructure.