One can only hope that the Government of Quebec finally gets an air ambulance system up and running in the province as a result of the untimely death of Natasha Richardson. Perhaps if one had been operating she may have made it to the trauma center in Montreal within minutes instead of hours.
I never really gave much thought to medical helicopters until we came upon an accident (in the middle of nowhere) on a mountain road South of Taos, New Mexico last year. By the time we got there the police had stopped traffic going both ways and allowed for enough space for the helicopter to land and load the victims. It was amazing to watch it land on a tiny highway clinging to the side of a mountain, and how it probably saved lives that day because an ambulance would have taken hours in Memorial Day weekend traffic from Santa Fe.
Quebec has many remote areas (I know because I grew up in one) served by regional hospitals and if you require seeing a specialist you must travel hours to Montreal. (We always felt that the government believed the province ended just past Montreal.) Not every regional hospital has a CT scan or MRI. Actually, I think there may be more MRI machines in Dallas hospitals than there are in Canadian hospitals. (At the time we first moved to the US there was ONE MRI for the Eastern Ontario region and it was running 24 hrs a day!!) The regional hospital in the town where my family lives has a CT scan thanks to local fundraising, so I really do not know if the hospital in Ste Agathe has one.
Perhaps it might be in the best interest for all if the regional hospital in the Mont Tremblant area is equipped with a major trauma unit, CT scan, and MRI. Since this world-class ski hill caters to international travelers wouldn't the Quebec Government want to leave injured skiiers with the best medical experience? It's no secret that downhill skiing involves injuries so why not have the best medical facility available like Aspen does. The Aspen Valley Hospital is a 25-bed facility with a level III trauma center, CT scan, MRI, and state-of-the-art ultrasound equipment. This is a lawsuit waiting to happen. I would choose Aspen over Mont Tremblant any day.
1 comment:
Does the Canadian ski area's local hospital have a CT scanner? Look out America, here comes Canadian "medicine" with Obama's national health care system. Just remember, "access to a waiting list is not access to health care."
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