September 7, 2018 was the last time that air ambulance Ornge landed at the Bowmanville helipad, according to Durham Paramedics (CUPE).
“Unfortunately due to MOH guidelines and distance our paramedics can’t get patients to a trauma centre to the care they deserve. Ornge is critical in ensuring these patients get the trauma care they require. Without an appropriate helipad this becomes incredibly difficult in situations where every minute counts,” it said.
Durham Paramedics call for a functioning helipad will become a reality, thanks to Ontario government, which has also promised $2.5 million additional funding for the hospital upgrade.
Ontario government is investing $2.5 million to support the redevelopment of Lakeridge Health’s hospital site in Bowmanville to offset the costs of planning the renewal and expansion of the hospital’s infrastructure.
“Durham is one of the fastest growing regions in Ontario and Bowmanville Hospital had its last major expansion over 30 years ago,” said Lindsey Park, MPP for Durham. “Today’s announcement will help modernize our community hospital and ensure Lakeridge Health can deliver better patient-centered and timely care, both now and into the future.”
As part of this project, the current Bowmanville Hospital will be redeveloped through a mix of new construction as well as renovations to the existing facility.
Interim Helipad
Ontario is also supporting the development of an interim helipad for Bowmanville Hospital. The interim helipad will improve how Lakeridge Health safely transfers critical patients to and from Bowmanville Hospital while the redevelopment project is being completed. The support for the interim helipad will be separate from the $2.5 million planning grant provided for the redevelopment project.
“On behalf of the entire community, I want to thank the province for their commitment to the Bowmanville Hospital expansion. Today’s exciting announcement moves forward a long standing and major project that will support Clarington’s health care needs for years to come. Our population has outgrown our current hospital, and this expansion cannot come soon enough, said Adrian Foster, Mayor of Clarington.
“I am also very happy to support the plans for the interim helipad. Ornge services are critical to supporting both Clarington and Durham Region patients. Having a safe place to land so close to the hospital will expedite life-saving care for many of our residents,” he added.
Quick Facts
- Ontario’s 2020 Budget outlines the government’s significant investments with a focus on health care and long-term care. This includes the total investment of $351 million for more than 2,250 new beds at 57 hospitals and alternate health facilities across the province.
- For Lakeridge Health, the government has invested in more hospital beds for patients with Covid-19, added six additional ICU beds, 24 additional beds for Acute Care, and 40 additional beds for Alternate Level of Care.
- On December 9, 2020, Health Canada approved the first Covid-19 vaccine in Canada, manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech, and on December 23, 2020 approved the Covid-19 vaccine manufactured by Moderna. Health Canada approved the vaccines after independent and thorough scientific reviews for safety, effectiveness and quality. Health Canada will continue to monitor the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines.
- The first delivery of 53,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine arrived in Ontario on December 30, 2020. Vaccine administration commenced at long-term care homes beginning on December 31, 2020.
- Ontario received 95,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine by December 21, with regular weekly shipments of Pfizer vaccine expected starting January 2021. Additional delivery sites will be offering the vaccine to the key populations by the end of January.
- To date, over 122,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been administered.
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