Medical air transport | Death on the tarmac

A patient who had to be rushed to Montreal died on the tarmac at Val-d’Or airport. The tragedy occurred while the Government Air Service (SAG) was experiencing a series of failures linked to the unavailability of pilots and the obsolescence of the planes, we learned. The Press.

The mercury was hovering around -20°C on January 4 when a Pilatus aircraft from the Airmedic company landed on the runway for transport.

This plane belonging to an “external service provider” was to be used that evening, as is more and more often the case to ensure medical evacuations in remote areas. This time it was due to a lack of SAG pilots to man the night shift.

Given his very unstable condition, the patient should normally have been transported by one of the two SAG “hospital planes”, Challenger jets, available to the Quebec aeromedical evacuation program (EVAQ) team. , indicated two sources familiar with the matter.

However, the Pilatus aircraft does not have the same facilities as these planes, the interior of which is designed to allow intensive care to be received.

Exposed to the cold in the cramped cabin when the patient was boarding, the lines allowing the intravenous administration of his vital medications would have frozen, which contributed to his death, the same sources indicated.

The coroner’s office said it was unable to trace the death, which was officially recorded at the Val-d’Or hospital, and could therefore neither confirm nor deny that an investigation had taken place. been opened in this file. The medical staff and pilots, all trained, available and in full possession of their means at the time of the tragedy, were in no way to blame.

“Rescue medical transport contracts are awarded to service providers who have obtained certificates specific to aeromedical transport,” specifies the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility (MTMD), to which the SAG falls.

A break in Kuujjuaq

Alongside this tragedy, the next day, one of the two SAG Challenger jets used to serve the communities of Nunavik was unable to take off from Kuujjuaq airport after suffering a malfunction during its landing a few hours earlier.

The aircraft designated under the acronym “QUE10” remained stuck for more than 24 hours on the tarmac of this airport in the Far North. Quebec was thus deprived for a short window of its two jets designated as “hospital planes”. In fact, the other Challenger he owned was then undergoing “unscheduled maintenance,” the MTMD said.

This relief aircraft, which has already transported certain prime ministers in the past before being converted into a hospital plane, would be reaching the end of its useful life, always according to our sources. Since the beginning of the year, he has only flown two days, indicates a publicly available flight log, FlightAware.

However, the SAG rather asserts that its parsimonious use is due to the fact that it is “the backup plane for the main QUE10 hospital plane”. “The use of devices is carried out according to their availability, which is determined by planned maintenance schedules,” explains Émilie Lord, spokesperson for the MTMD.

Once again, an external relief provider was called to the rescue to bring back the patients that QUE10 had to transport from Kuujjuaq to the South.

Nine hours delay

But to make matters worse, it was during this short window when none of the government’s “hospital planes” were available that a call for emergency air transport was received, around 10 p.m. on January 5, from Schefferville, still in northern Quebec.

A child suffering from internal bleeding following a snowmobile accident had to be transported as quickly as possible to a hospital center to receive a blood transfusion.

Normally, one of the SAG Challengers would have been sent to this region, according to our sources, since they make the journey much faster than the other planes at EVAQ’s disposal, two twin-propeller Dash 8s.

However, it was one of these aircraft that landed at Schefferville airport the day after the incident, at 7:31 a.m., according to the FlightAware flight log, more than 9 hours after the call.

“Since the night crew was not complete, the mission was launched at 4 a.m. on the morning of January 6 with the day crew, as early as possible,” defended the MTMD.

Without commenting on his state of health, the family doctor on duty in Schefferville last night testified to this “demoralizing” experience.

“It’s very traumatic for me, doing things at the beginning, then waiting, just being there waiting,” says Paul Theodorescu, who has worked in Schefferville six months a year for four years. “There is a difference between receiving blood and having an operation three hours or eight hours later,” adds the caregiver, who has already used EVAQ services several times in the past.

For the D^r Charles-Étienne Plourde, who works within EVAQ, the situation is untenable. “If we decide to no longer offer this service, I would like it to be clear and that we inform our regions. On the other hand, if we decide to keep him, we must act quickly, because other lives will be lost,” declares the doctor, who chose to speak out to denounce the situation.

Pilot shortage

Certainly, the state of the SAG planes is problematic, but the shortage of pilots is just as problematic, affirms Charles-Étienne Plourde. He also underlines the dedication of the EVAQ teams, “incredible” people who suffer from failures in the fleet of devices which must serve their work, according to him.

Last October, The Press reported that within a few months, eight people capable of flying government planes – the Challenger and Dash 8 – had left the ranks. There were then only 28 left, which represents 14 crews.

The MTMD confirms today that it has a workforce of 26 business jet pilots, still two fewer. According to their union, around 40 pilots would be needed to ensure adequate service.

“The constantly evolving medical transport needs, unpredictable device breakdowns and lack of manpower are elements that the MTMD must face,” recognizes spokesperson Émilie Lord. In this regard, the Ministry is working to implement measures to promote the attraction and retention of specialized personnel and to renew its air fleet in order to meet its mission and ensure the sustainability of its essential services. »

In addition to the medical transport aspect, the SAG is responsible for air medical transport, forest fire fighting (with its air tankers) and other aerial activities, such as collaboration with the Sûreté du Québec through to his helicopters.