WINNIPEG — Manitoba has temporarily grounded the STARS air ambulance helicopter “following a recent patient transportation incident” in which a woman died.
Health Minister Erin Selby made the announcement late Monday afternoon in Winnipeg. It’s a temporary suspension based on the advice of medical professionals, officials said.
“Late in the evening of Nov. 28, STARS was transporting a patient in the southern health region to Winnipeg for further specialized care following a cardiac arrest. At the time of the flight, the patient was cleared for takeoff; however, after landing in Winnipeg and despite the efforts of medical staff on the ground, the patient later died. At the time of the incident, a doctor, paramedic and critical care nurse were on board along with all appropriate medical equipment,” a news release from the province says.
It appears the woman patient wasn’t given sufficient oxygen, officials said.
The suspension of STARS service is temporary, pending the result of a critical incident review of the patient’s death, the province said.
“This is a tragedy in which my deepest sympathies go out to the family,” Selby is quoted in the news release. “This case is now being reviewed as a critical incident so we can get to the bottom of what happened and provide answers to the family.”
Later Monday, a spokesperson for STARS emailed this statement to Global News in response to the suspension:
“The care and safety of our patients is our top priority, which is why we review every mission we fly. We look forward to working with government on their review of this case and expect to resume service in the near future. As the minister indicated, STARS plays a vital role in our health-care system, saving many lives every year. We’ve flown over 650 missions in Manitoba to date, serving communities throughout the province.”
It’s not the first time STARS has come under scrutiny. Provincial officials said there were two other “critical incidents” this year; they were reviewed and protocol changes were subsequently made. Officials suggested those new protocols were not followed in the Nov. 28 flight after which the patient died.
A two-year-old boy suffered severe brain damage during a flight on STARS from Brandon to Winnipeg last May, after a breathing tube came loose and deprived him of oxygen for several minutes.
The province said it has had to take the step of suspending other ground and air ambulance services in the past “until issues of concern were resolved.”
The province said it has contingency plans in the absence of STARS air ambulance service, including extending the service of fixed-wing air ambulance planes to southern Manitoba and putting physicians on board ambulances for ground transfers.
Manitoba contracted Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS) to provide specialized emergency medical services via helicopter during the 2009 and 2011 floods. The province implement a permanent helicopter air ambulance program with STARS based on those experiences, the Manitoba Health website says.
“Onboard every STARS flight is two pilots, a critical care nurse, and a critical care paramedic,” the website says. “An emergency physician trained in pre-hospital care and transportation is also available by telephone for every emergency response and travels in the helicopter whenever medically necessary.”
STARS began as a 12-hour-a-day service but moved to a 24/7 model in 2013. It operates one specially equipped helicopter from a base at Winnipeg’s Richardson International Airport.
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