By Charles Lefebvre

Helipad at hospital not yet cleared for operation; waiting on Transport Canada inspection

Dec 5, 2017 | 3:39 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Months after the newly expanded Medicine Hat Regional Hospital opened up, the building’s helipad is still not cleared for operation.

According to a statement from Marie-Anyk Cote, senior media relations advisor with Transport Canada, the agency and Alberta Health Services, the owner of the heliport, are still working towards the certification.

“As part of the certification process, Alberta Health Services, as the owner of the heliport, must request a Transport Canada onsite inspection to verify that the heliport meets all aviation safety requirements for certification,” the statement reads. “Transport Canada is working closely with Alberta Health Services towards certification and will conduct an onsite inspection when Alberta Health Services indicates it is ready for one.”

The new wing of the hospital officially opened to the public earlier this year.

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CHAT News Today reached out to Alberta Infrastructure to find out about the helipad delay, and received a call back from Robert Storrier, a public affairs officer with the agency.

Storrier says during an initial test with Transport Canada, an issue was discovered with the helipad fire suppression system, specifically with the water and foam spray pattern.

“We’re now working on redesigning it,” he said. “We’re having the Medicine Hat Fire Department look at those adjustments. Once they are aligned with them, we’ll then contact Transport Canada, let them review the new design adjustments and then we go through a new testing phase with Transport Canada.”

Storrier says there is no timeline at this point for the next inspection from Transport Canada.