Mackay Hospital to lose helipad

I support our RACQ CQ Rescue Service in calling on the State Labor Government to give a commitment to the people of the Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday regions that the helipad at the Mackay Base Hospital will remain operational during the hospital’s redevelopment period over the next three years.

The decision to close the helipad has been made with no community consultation, with no consultation from key stakeholders or emergency personnel.

In emergency situations minutes and seconds count.  It is essential for our rescue services to be able to land within close proximity to the emergency care at the hospital.  Having to land at the Mackay Airport and have patients transported to the hospital by Queensland ambulance is unacceptable and will risk lives.

I’m calling on the Minister to work with the Mackay Hospital Health Service and the local community and local experts to find an acceptable solution which will ensure the helicopter can land within close proximity to the hospital during the renovation period. 

Our community pours significant funding into the CQ Rescue Service every year and they deserve to have it operating at full capacity, giving them the best chance in an emergency.

In a region where we have experienced road accidents, shark attacks, mining and farming accidents, lives have been saved because our rescue helicopter has been able to land in close proximity to the hospital.

We cannot afford to risk losing this service for the next three years.