Quebec health minister announces pilot project to transfer patients by air
MONTREAL — Quebec’s health minister announced on Friday an 18-month pilot project to transfer patients between hospitals by helicopter, in what he said could be a first step towards establishing a more complete air ambulance service in the province.
Gaetan Barrette said the service, which will begin in September, will transport urgent care patients from six facilities in three regions to the Hopital du Sacre-Coeur in Montreal.
The $3 million annual price tag includes the direct and indirect costs of the project as well as an evaluation to see if such a service could be made permanent.
It also includes establishing helicopter landing areas at the regional facilities, which are in the Lanaudiere and Laurentides regions north of Montreal, and the Mauricie region to the northeast.