A heart attack victim from Grand Manan has died needlessly….that according to MLA for Charlotte-The Isles Rick Doucet. He emphasizes the importance of air-based evacuation from Grand Manan to the Saint John Regional.
Previously, residents could be transported to hospitals in Saint John or Moncton directly from the island. Under a new contract signed less than a week ago the wait-times are much longer.
Doucet says he’s been saying all along the cuts would have a disastrous effect and this incident proves it. He says given the “golden hour” for medical response in certain emergencies, the wait time is simply unacceptable.
Doucet says the helicopter arrived just after 1pm, but just before the patient could be taken to the helicopter–four hours after the ambulance was called–the patient suffered another, fatal heart attack.
Doucet says Grand Mananers are anxious to have the island-based service restored.
