The planning of the new Landspítali at Hringbraut does not assume that medical helicopters will be able to land on the ground; there have been ideas about installing a landing pad on the roof of one of the hospital buildings – but a decision has not been made. “I believe that there needs to be a helipad near Hringbraut Hospital,” says Alma D. Möller, Minister of Health.
“Of course, it would be better to have a helipad closer to the hospital that would be used if there really was a need. It was assumed in the design that a helipad would be on top of the research building. But recently it has become clear that it would have to be raised significantly, that is a worse option and it would be best to have it on the ground,” says Alma.
And she plans to meet with city authorities in the near future about the matter. “A discussion needs to take place with the City of Reykjavík about a plot of land.”
A landing site for medical helicopters is secured in Nauthólsvík. It is the opinion of Viðar Magnússon, a doctor on the Icelandic Cost Guard helicopters, that if it is the landing site closest to the new National Hospital, it will cause delays that could cost lives. Viðar said in RÚV news yesterday that these delays could be 20 minutes or more.
Alma, who is a former helicopter doctor, believes that cases could arise where it is too far from Nauthólsvík to the new National Hospital. It is important that the transfer of patients is as small as possible. “For example, between vehicles, there is a certain risk in the most difficult cases, so yes, that is clearly a worse option.”
Source: Ruv.is
