By ROSALEEN MACBRAYNE
TAURANGA - A new rescue helicopter will be based in Tauranga from next week to cover the whole of coastal Bay of Plenty and out to East Cape.
Until now, the district has relied on air ambulances from Hamilton, Rotorua and Taupo.
Tranz Rail, which already sponsors the Taupo and Palmerston North helicopters managed by the Philips Search and Rescue Trust, is also funding the new 24-hour on-call Tauranga emergency service.
The Squirrel helicopter will be housed at the St John Ambulance station in 17th Ave, close to Tauranga Hospital, where a helipad is expected to be built soon.
Hospital general manager Alan Wilson said that with the rapid growth of Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty it would be good to have an air ambulance closer.
The shorter transfer time would benefit patients and the service would help the hospital to keep its focus on the treatment of trauma and acutely ill people.
The new service - starting on Tuesday after about two years' planning - has closely involved St John Ambulance, which will provide the paramedic crew, and Pacific Health, which runs Tauranga Hospital.
St John area manager Ken Hanson said Tauranga was an ideal position for a rescue helicopter, although the majority of ambulance work would still be done by road.
"We should have one of the best operations in the country."
Tranz Rail's corporate relations manager, Fred Cockram, said the Bay of Plenty was the obvious area for the expansion of its rescue service sponsorship.
Tranz Rail did a lot of its business in the region, being a major transporter of logs and forestry products and a partner with the Port of Tauranga in the Metroport operation, linking the Bay of Plenty with the mass market of Auckland.
Initial sponsorship was for three years, but more local funding would be needed to get full benefit from the helicopter service, he said.
"As the country's health services consolidate into a smaller number of highly specialised trauma hospitals, there is an increasing need for air ambulances to augment the network of ground-based vehicles."
Last year, the two Tranz Rail Rescue helicopters in the North Island and two in the South Island carried about 900 New Zealanders and overseas visitors to safety after accidents and medical emergencies.
Bay to get its own rescue copter
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