Rescue helicopter can’t land on hospitals: opposition demands government clean up – NRK Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio

The Labor Party and the Center Party are very critical of the fact that the new helicopters cannot land in Norwegian hospitals.

– Adjustments must be made. We know that, Justice Minister Monica Mæland (H) said at the Storting on Wednesday.

Test landings with rescue helicopters replacing Sea King helicopters show that they create enormous air pressure during landing. More health regions want more tests.

At both St. Olav Hospital and Haukeland Hospital, it was unsafe for those nearby when the test landings were made, a report known this fall shows.

Critical that the helicopter cannot land

– I think it is absolutely incredible that you choose to buy a helicopter without ensuring in advance that they can actually land in hospitals, says Marit Arnstad from Center Party and continues:

– I think it is very strange that the government has not addressed this problem before.

Norway will receive 16 new rescue helicopters and the acquisition will cost NOK 16.8 billion. The first two helicopters will be in use in Stavanger from 1 September. In half a year, new rescue helicopters will land at St. Olav Hospital.

It was the Stoltenberg government that started the project to change the rescue helicopters, but the decision was made and the contract was signed in December 2013, after the Solberg government took over.

Marit Arnstad believes that they have had a long time to see if these helicopters can land in Norwegian hospitals.

– It cannot be the case that you sit with the contract on your lap for seven years without doing anything else, he says.

The Minister of Justice replied at the Storting

On Wednesday, the Minister of Justice and Emergency Management, Monica Mæland (H), answered questions about the problems with the air pressure of the new helicopters in the Storting Question Time.

– We knew that the new helicopters are much heavier. We knew they had more rotor wind. And we have experience in Denmark, which means larger security zones are required, Mæland said.

The Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness is analyzing what measures may be necessary.

– There may be different ways to handle this. The most important thing is that they are managed and that the hospitals currently using the rescue helicopters do so in the future. There are also much, much better helicopters, Mæland emphasized.

Not happy with the answer

Health policy spokesperson Ingvild Kjerkol (Labor Party) is not satisfied with the response she received from the Minister of Justice at the Storting.

– I do not think the Minister has given good enough answers to the concerns of the St. Olav Hospital and the Northern Norway University Hospital about problems with air pressure and noise during landing, Kjerkol tells NRK.

She says it’s important that it is safe for people when rescue helicopters land at hospitals.

– It is obvious to me that new investments and solutions are needed to ensure good conditions to be able to land the new helicopters safely in hospitals, which will perhaps treat seriously injured patients, says Kjerkol.

Arnstad is amazed

In two years, all the helicopters, to be named SAR Queen, are scheduled to be operational.

On Wednesday, Arnstad will send a letter to Prime Minister Erna Solberg for a response on the necessary measures.

– The government must fix this. I am afraid that one of those present will use resources to improve the landing sites in the big cities, and that it will go beyond the absolutely necessary need for more helicopter landing sites in the local hospitals in Norway, among others. in Namsos, says Arnstad.

The government promises to take action

– The new rescue helicopters will contribute to better and faster patient transport in all types of weather conditions. When the phasing-in work is completed, the readiness of Norway’s population will improve significantly, Justice Minister Monica Mæland told the Storting on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness is in charge of adapting the landing sites in hospitals to the new rescue helicopters.

– Let me clarify that the hospitals currently using rescue helicopters will also be used by them in the future. The debate revolves around what adjustments should be made to be within the cost framework available to us, Mæland said.

Landing at airports

Mæland noted that rescue helicopters can also land at airports.

– This has been resolved in various ways in other parts of the country. In Stavanger they land in Sola and in Arendal it is Kjevik or Gullknapp that is used as a landing site. I have seen the Dagsrevy report from Trondheim and I am sure we will find a good solution there, she said.

Rescue helicopters land at Sola airport until a new hospital in Stavanger is completed in 2023. On question time at the Storting, Mæland did not want to say whether rescue helicopters will land at the airport or at a new landing site. at Namsos Hospital.

You must be allowed to use a rescue helicopter.

– In the debate, it may seem that it is not sure if rescue helicopters will land at Namsos in the future. Let me clarify that hospitals that currently use rescue helicopters will also do so in the future. This also applies to Namsos, said Monica Mæland.

Kjerkol believes that the minister avoids the question and downplays the problem.

– I observed that Minister Mæland would not answer the question whether using Namsos airport is an acceptable solution. The landing space in the hospital is necessary to ensure emergency functions and good enough preparedness, says Kjerkol.