** Australian woman gets court date next month after attacking paramedics
** Nova Scotia paramedics pushing government to secure new air ambulance
AUSTRALIA NEWS
** A Cairns, Queensland woman will appear in court November 16th after allegedly attacking two ambulance officers in their ambulance Saturday night. That is the word from The Chinchilla News (October 30) which said the two medics, a 48-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman, sustained only bruising in the incident. According to the newspaper, the woman became aggressive while being treated in the EMS unit’s rear cab. After arriving at hospital, she fled the premises but was later arrested. There is no word on the motive for the attack.
CANADA NEWS
** Nova Scotia’s paramedics union is pushing for the government to secure a new air ambulance for the province after the old one was turfed for not meeting helipad standards. CBC (Susan Bradley/October 28) quoted International Union of Operating Engineers Local 727 business manager Terry Chapman as saying ground ambulances are no substitute for the rapid transport for critical patients medevac aircraft can provide. Chapman’s comments come some six months after Canadian Helicopters, the previous air ambulance designate, was told its choppers could not land at either the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre or the IWK Hospital. Instead, choppers have been landing at a helipad close to the hospitals, with patients competing the journey by ground EMS. Health Minister Leo Glavine said they are still searching for a replacement aircraft. Glavine said they have been delayed because a BC based helicopter the province was interested in was impacted by that government’s August decision to ground some of its air ambulance fleet.
