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News came in on Thursday that a Swedish pilot tested positive for coronavirus.
The employee had been on hold at the Brønnøysund air ambulance base before the test result came in.
Therefore, the base transporting patients in the Helgeland area was immediately closed indefinitely.
On Friday, municipal chief doctor Even Thorkildsen in Brønnøy confirmed to NRK that the pilot’s second test was also positive.
Babcock, who flies ambulance planes on behalf of the Air Ambulance Service, calls the situation “serious.”
Helgeland Hospital and the HF Air Ambulance Service are also aware that emergency preparedness has weakened.
Babcock is now working hard to reopen the base. It can’t happen before Friday night.
Wash the base
– Our base is still considered contaminated. This means that there may be an infection there, explains operations manager Hilde Sjurelv at Babcock.
Hilde Sjurelv at Babcock is now working to reopen the base in Brønnøysund.
Photo: Pål Hansen / NRK
– This means that those who are in quarantine are housed in hotels and the base remains closed.
Babcock has hired a cleaning agency that will begin washing at 6pm on Friday night.
Sjurelv says it will take place during the afternoon and evening if necessary.
– So the base, in theory, can reopen tonight?
– Yes, once the base is washed, it can be opened again. But I don’t have a time estimate.
– Unlucky
The Air Ambulance Service has overall operational responsibility for all air ambulances in Norway.
Øyvind Juell of the Air Ambulance Service says the situation is not fortunate.
Photo: Kåre Riibe Ramskjell / NRK
CEO Øyvind Juell tells NRK that they are closely monitoring the situation.
– Preparation, of course, weakens and you have no luck. We hope it can be opened as soon as possible.
Juell emphasizes that all other air ambulance resources are on standby and available.
Therefore, patients in Helgeland must be picked up by another plane from Ålesund, Oslo, Bodø or Tromsø.
Furthermore, there is also an ambulance helicopter in Brønnøysund that you can use.
The air ambulance service has received signals from Babcock that the base can now open Friday night.
– The most important thing is that the infection is limited. But we hope it is working overnight.
Pilot sent home to Sweden
At Brønnøy, at least five employees are in isolation after the pilot was diagnosed with an infection on Thursday.
These will be tested on Friday afternoon, but need to be quarantined anyway.
Babcock has a total of 106 pilots employed and is now working to get some of them to Brønnøysund and operate the base.
– We have to see who we have available and how quickly we can get them there, explains Hilde Sjurelv.
– Of course, it is important to us that the base is operational again. The most important thing is the safety of our employees, healthcare professionals and patients. We will not rush until we are sure you are infection free.
As for the driver who was diagnosed with an infection on Thursday, he is already on his way home to Sweden again.
In consultation with the Brønnøy municipal chief, he has sat in his own car and is on his way to Sweden to receive help from the medical staff.
As long as the base is closed, patients in this area must be picked up by plane from Ålesund, Oslo, Bodø or Tromsø.
Photo: Jørn Inge Johansen / NRK
