WINNIPEG – A helicopter company executive says it is “shocking” the Manitoba government hired an air ambulance company without seeking other bids, and still wants a chance at the contract.
“Absolutely given the opportunity, we would have submitted a bid and we would welcome the opportunity to submit a bid,” Rob Blakely, vice-president of EMS operations with Canadian Helicopters, said Thursday.
Manitoba’s auditor general said Wednesday the government broke its own tendering rules and didn’t ensure it was getting value for money when it signed an air ambulance contract with STARS that will cost taxpayers $159 million.
“For any province to award a contract of this magnitude and importance without going through a competitive bid process is shocking,” Blakely said.
A 10-year contract signed in 2012 with the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS) was never put out for public tender and was signed despite evidence the cost per mission would be up to 600 per cent more than in other provinces, according to the audit report.
“Without the benefit of a tendering process, (Manitoba) Health could not demonstrate that they are achieving value for money, balancing price with economy, efficiency and effectiveness of the goods and services required,” Carol Bellringer wrote in her annual report tabled in the legislature Wednesday.
But Manitoba’s premier continued to defend the STARS contract Thursday, refusing to acknowledge that it broke government contracting rules.
“We wanted to serve the public interest,” Greg Selinger said. “We accept the auditor’s report but we also know that we have the ability to serve the public interest and saving lives was priority one.”
Even STARS said it was unusual when the province offered to turn their temporary lease during the 2011 flood into a full-time contract without a bid process.
“It’s not something we necessarily expected when we came in in 2011, but they had a strong desire to have the continuous service and not have a down period,” STARS spokesman Colin Fast said Thursday. STARS also said the cost per flight is much greater in Manitoba than Saskatchewan and Alberta because STARS is sent on far fewer missions in this province than the others.
“We know there is further work that needs to be done to integrate STARS into the health-care system here,” Fast said. “We just think there is additional cases we could probably help out on and work together with the province to refine the dispatch criteria and make sure that we are being sent on the kind of cases we should be and really make a difference.”
The union representing paramedics in rural areas of the province said the province should go back to the drawing board for a helicopter air ambulance service.
“We think the province should seriously consider retendering a contract now for other competitive bids on this service and remain with STARS in the short term, respecting the restrictions in place to ensure patient safety,” Michelle Gawronsky, president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union, said in a statement.
— With files from The Canadian Press
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