Failure to put a helipad at Warrnambool's hospital is robbing residents of critical and trauma services while putting extra pressure on already stretched ambulance resources, an MP says.
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South West Coast MP Roma Britnell said once the $384 million hospital development was completed, Warrnambool would be one of the few major regional Victorian hospitals without a helipad.
"It's a vital aspect that is seemingly totally overlooked," she said.
Ms Britnell said hospitals in Ballarat and Bendigo had a helipad but not Warrnambool.
"In the $384 million plans to upgrade Warrnambool's hospital, no helipad was included," she said.
Ms Britnell said without a helipad, future expansion of the hospital's services were less likely.
She feared Warrnambool was less likely to get a cath lab - which treats heart conditions - or increased trauma services because it had no easy access to the hospital.
The lack of a helipad at the hospital was also putting pressure on the region's already stretched ambulance service, Ms Britnell said.
When a time-critical patient from Warrnambool needs to be flown to Melbourne or Geelong it can take one of the city's two ambulances off the road for up to three hours.
An ambulance is sent to the airport to collect the HEMS crew and bring them to the hospital where they wait for sometimes as long as 90 minutes while the patient is handed over - something that could involve swapping over monitors and ventilators.
Ambulance officers then transport the patient and HEMS crew back to the airport for what is little more than a taxi service, Ms Britnell said.
"These are highly skilled individuals and their resources could be better used," she said.
A helipad that could land directly near the emergency department would free up that ambulance for other patients in the community, she said.
Portland recently lost its helipad and Ms Britnell is fighting to having the vital service returned.
She said she was still waiting on the minister to explain why it couldn't be restored.
Katrina Lovell
Katrina Lovell is a senior journalist at The Standard who covers council news and human interest stories.
Katrina Lovell is a senior journalist at The Standard who covers council news and human interest stories.
