The Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society is getting ready to introduce its service to Saskatoon and northern parts of the province.
A newly-fitted helicopter is expected to arrive this weekend, and the service officially launches on Monday.
STARS has been operating in southern Saskatchewan since the spring and has helped about 80 patients.
Spokesperson David Fairbanks says a permanent landing pad will be developed in the future:
“For Saskatoon, it looks like the ministry will be building a heli-pad on the rooftop of the children’s hospital. The completion date hasn’t been confirmed, but we’re looking at around 2015.”
Fairbanks says the new helicopter has emergency equipment, medical personnel, and a range of about 500 km:
“STARS can fly about 250 km, without refuelling, and back to a primary care centre. So, we can get north of Prince Albert on a tank of gas and back to the hospital without refuelling. So, we could reach La Ronge. We’d be able to fly out there, pick up a patient and bring him back to Saskatoon — but we’d have to refuel along the way.”
Fairbanks says a series of landing pads can be built in communities around the province as the service is expanded.