Residents in the remote community of Grand Manan, N.B., are on edge over the possibility their medevac service will no longer be based on the island.
In recent decades, Atlantic Charters, which is located on the island, has provided most of the service, transporting patients who require more extensive care to Saint John in a timely manner.
In an interview with Global News this week, Bonnie Morse, mayor of the Village of Grand Manan, confirmed new Transport Canada regulations coming into effect on Dec. 12 regarding duty time will impact Atlantic Charters.
Morse noted, to her understanding, if the charter company does not reach a new contract with Ambulance New Brunswick, the latter will resume the medevac responsibilities.
“So, we’d be waiting for a plane to come from the mainland. At that point, we’re dependent on other schedules, on weather, on any number of things that could happen,” Morse said, standing inside the council chambers.
Morse noted their current systems provide the “advantage” of having Atlantic Charters nearby to pilot a plane to the mainland on short notice.
While a hospital is located on the island, the smaller facility is not equipped to handle more intensive medical emergencies.
‘Unpalatable’
According to the mayor, it’s difficult to find a Grand Manan resident who has not required the medevac service, whether it be for themselves or a family member.
Among them is Philman Green, who suffered a heart attack and was transported from the Grand Manan Hospital to the Saint John Regional Hospital.
“Within five hours of having a heart attack on a remote place like Grand Manan, I got the treatment I needed to stabilize me and minimize the damage to my heart. The longer you go, the more damage it causes to your heart,” Green told Global News in an interview.
A long-time Grand Manan resident, Green said it’s “unacceptable” to think a person may suffer dire consequences due to delays waiting for an air ambulance to arrive from the mainland.
Contract talks
A representative for Atlantic Charters declined to comment on the matter.
In an emailed statement to Global News, Ambulance New Brunswick confirmed contract talks remain underway.
“Ambulance New Brunswick has been in ongoing discussions with Atlantic Charters, but we are unable to comment on the specifics of those conversations at this time as talks continue,” said Jean-Pierre Savoie, Vice-President of Ambulance New Brunswick.
“Our Air Ambulance program has been, and remains, a service available to all New Brunswickers, including Grand Manan residents,” he continued.
“Ambulance New Brunswick is and always has been committed to the health and safety of all New Brunswickers and we are committed to continuing with these important discussions regarding services for Grand Manan.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Health said they had nothing to add to the Ambulance New Brunswick statement.
Morse noted the village has already begun discussions with the MLA for Fundy-The Isles Saint John West, Andrea Anderson-Mason. The mayor has also attempted to speak with Health Minister Bruce Fitch and Premier Blaine Higgs without any luck.
In the meantime, she said, it’s important to continue discussions on the island’s medevac service to keep it in the spotlight.
“We need to maintain what we have had here on the island a service that has worked well and make sure, going forward, we can access the same medical care as the rest of New Brunswick.”
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