Far North rescue helicopter diverted to protect tarp-covered hospital kitchen

Treatment of critical patients airlifted to a Far North hospital is being delayed by up to an hour with the force of the helicopter’s rotors threatening to blow a ramshackle hospital’s crumbling infrastructure away.

Generic photos of Cooktown hospital, Cooktown Multi Purpose Health Service. Picture: Peter Carruthers

Treatment of critical patients airlifted to a Far North hospital is being delayed by up to an hour with the force of the helicopter’s rotors threatening to blow a ramshackle hospital’s crumbling infrastructure away.

A spokesman for Health Minister Tim Nicholls has confirmed the helipad at the dilapidated Cooktown Multipurpose Health Service closed late last year, prompting criticism from the town’s mayor.

Aircraft, like the Rescue 510 helicopter pictured at the Cairns Airport, cannot land on the Cooktown hospital’s helipad. Picture: Peter Carruthers

The rescue helicopter is now diverted to the southern Cape York town’s airport, around 12km away with patients then transferred to the hospital via ambulance.

The strength of the downdraught generated by the rescue chopper’s rotor posed a risk to the hospital’s tarpaulin-covered kitchen, the spokesman said.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls’ office has confirmed that Cooktown Hospital’s helipad is no longer in use. Picture: John Gass

It is understood the helicopter could also be damaged if the awning came loose and was caught in the aircraft’s whirring blades while attempting to land or take-off.

Toddler’s stroller lifted in air by rescue helicopter’s blades at Cairns hospital

“The good news is the aging kitchen building is due to be replaced as part of the upcoming $200m hospital redevelopment,” the spokesman said.

“A new helipad is due to be built on the hospital site, further to the east of the current site, as part of the first phase of the hospital redevelopment.”

Cook Shire councillor Gavin Dear and mayor Robyn Holmes are urging the Health Minister to find a way to start using the hospital’s helipad again. Picture: Brendan Radke

Angered Cook Shire mayor Robyn Holmes said the decision to re-route patients to the airport was “unacceptable” with urgent medical treatment delayed by up to an hour in some instances.

“It’s less than satisfactory,” Ms Holmes said. “It doesn’t meet the patient’s expectations and it doesn’t meet the required standard for a safe transfer of passengers.

“These are patients that need to be medically assessed in Cairns and this is just an added delay.”

Patients airlifted to-and-from Cooktown hospital are often treated for snake bites, or following crocodile attacks. Picture: Mark Wilson

Ms Holmes argued that the time wasted as a result of the helipad’s closure could often be closer to an hour with rapid response to incidents often the difference between life and death.

“Retrievals can be snake bites, heart attacks, anaphylactic shock,” the mayor said.

“Those patients are critical and any time delay can impact on their recovery, if they make it there on time.

“Sometimes it’s road trauma. Time is of the essence when it comes to transferred patients.”

Cooktown Airport, where rescue helicopters now land and take off from, is located around 12km from the town’s hospital. Picture: Supplied.

While the hospital’s major redevelopment was welcomed, Ms Holmes said a solution to re-open the hospital’s helipad needed to be found sooner.

“The state of the infrastructure is disgusting,” she said.

“The roof is leaking. It’s a massive workplace, health and safety issue.

“You should be able to produce meals in a safe environment for your patients.”

Prior to the election, the LNP promised to deliver “world-class” health services to regional Queensland and re-instate birthing services at the Cooktown hospital which was built as a temporary facility in the 1980s.

Work on the hospital redevelopment is set to start in 2026 with a managing contractor set to be appointed soon.

Originally published as Far North rescue helicopter diverted to protect tarp-covered hospital kitchen