New Bundaberg Hospital set to have rooftop helipad
A rooftop helipad on the new Bundaberg Hospital is set to play a vital role in speeding up medical responses and enabling the safe and efficient transport of critically unwell patients.
Mr Peter Heath, Executive Director, Capital Projects, Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service, said the new Bundaberg Hospital’s larger helipad would enable quicker patient transfers and support the needs of the growing Wide Bay region.
"During emergencies, every minute counts, and having access to a rooftop helipad will ensure all patients requiring aeromedical transfer receive the necessary care without delay,” Mr Heath said.
"The rooftop helipad will have direct access to the Emergency department, Operating suite, Intensive Care Unit and Medical Imaging department via dedicated elevators.
"These elevators, known as 'hot lifts', are much larger than a typical hospital lift, sized to accommodate the complex needs of critically unwell patients, including the multiple staff performing critical care.
"We engaged with local LifeFlight personnel several years ago when we were making our case for the new hospital, who were strong advocates of a rooftop helipad.
"I'm pleased our new hospital has been designed to include this important key feature."
Dr Chris McMullen, Clinical Lead, LifeFlight said the inclusion of a purpose-built rooftop helipad at the new hospital was welcomed by LifeFlight crews.
"For safety reasons, we're currently unable to land our heavier AW139 aircrafts at the hospital helipad on Bourbong Street," Dr McMullen said.
"Once the new hospital is built, our crews will be able to transfer and retrieve directly from the rooftop, providing better safety outcomes for patients, medical staff and our crews.
"It will also provide patients with greater privacy, free up paramedics to provide care to other patients and improve overall operations for our LifeFlight crews – it's a win-win for everyone.”