No plan to cut air ambulance pilot training funds, province says
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/11/2017 (2953 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler says the government will continue to fund pilot training to ensure that its Lifeflight Air Ambulance service is not jeopardized.
The NDP Opposition and the pilot’s union had raised concerns that the government had not scheduled required training that would allow ambulance pilots to maintain their licences.
They said that one of the service’s pilots needs to update his training by the end of November, while two others are due to have theirs completed by the end of December. A fourth pilot has given his notice.
The worry was that there would be an insufficient number of pilots available to maintain a service that the government has already indicated it may privatize.
Schuler said Thursday that Lifeflight has a “full complement” of pilots, and the government will continue to fund training at a cost of $300,000 a year.
“Training will start in November, and the training is staggered,” he said after the issue was raised in question period.
“We are very pleased with the service,” he added.
Lifeflight operates two planes and serves rural and northern communities that are more than 200 kilometres away from Winnipeg.
The NDP alleged that on two days in late September there was no service available for several hours.
“There are times when we’re servicing our aircraft and when that aircraft is not available… we always make sure we have a private service available, should it be needed,” Schuler said.
Failing that, the government ensures that “ground (ambulance) service is available,” he said.
Schuler said no decision has been made on whether Lifeflight and other government air services will be privatized.
The province has sought expressions of interest regarding the possible privatization of its air ambulance and water-bomber services.
“We, first of all, don’t ever put an ideological filter on things,” Schuler said. “We’ve looked at a lot of different things that government does and (whether) the private sector (can) provide that service better. No decisions have been made.”
larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca