CareFlight’s $10 million plea for second rescue helicopter

CAREFLIGHT is desperately seeking $10 million to buy a second helicopter following reports a seriously injured man was recently forced to wait five hours for emergency transport

Careflight NTv s renewing its calls for $10 million in funding to buy a second helicopter after a seriously injured man was forced to wait five hours. Picture: Justin Kennedy

CAREFLIGHT is renewing its calls for $10 million in funding to buy a second helicopter after a seriously injured man was forced to wait five hours at Dundee Beach for emergency transport.

The aeromedical group said a second helicopter would help it reach an extra 60 patients every year.

Solomon MP Luke Gosling described the shortage as one of “urgent need”.

“The vast size of the NT and dispersed population means that there are additional challenges delivering health services, yet we are the only state or territory with just a single medical rescue helicopter,” he said.

“Even Tasmania, with a much smaller landmass, is serviced by three helicopters.”

About 10pm on Friday August 2, a 38-year-old man fell 6m off a cliff at Dundee Beach and sustained spinal injuries and injuries to his face and head. The man was finally moved from the beach at 2am.

In the Top End, CareFlight only has one rescue helicopter, which was helping a woman in Katherine when the man fell.

A helicopter was deployed from the RAAF base in an attempt to rescue the man, but it was forced to turn back due to technical difficulties.

He was eventually taken to Royal Darwin Hospital in an ambulance.

A CareFlight spokesman said all other states of Australia had at least three medical rescue helicopters.

“A second medical rescue helicopter will close the gap on medical rescue capability, from 70 per cent service availability to more than 95 per cent availability, resulting in more lives saved,” he said.

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A spokesman for Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said it funded the Royal Flying Doctor Service to deliver primary aeromedical evacuations, GP and nursing clinics from the NT/SA border up to Tennant Creek.

NT Treasurer Nicole Manison said it would welcome the extra capacity an extra helicopter would provide, but ongoing operational costs of about $2.5 million a year would also need to be covered.