** Manitoba politician seeking inquiry after The Pas man dies following lengthy wait for air ambulance
CANADA NEWS
** A Manitoba politician from The Pas is pushing for an inquest after an area man died following a lengthy wait for an air ambulance to Winnipeg. The Thompson Citizen (July 16) quoted NDP MLA Amanda Lathlin as saying the inquiry may reveal whether the privatization of Lifeflight contributed to the July 5th death of heart attack patient Gordon Jebb. Lathlin’s comments come after the province switched from using publicly owned Citation jets to the privately provided Beechcraft King Air 200s. The decision was made due to the expense and the difficulty in finding qualified pilots for the former. Doctors Manitoba disagreed with the move, saying the Beechcraft was a slower plane that would ultimately result in a delay in more definitive patient care. The province, meanwhile, said the air ambulance delay was only 6 ½ hours from the time they were called. A spokesman said the matter is being looked into (Erin Brohman/CBC/July 16). Taken by ground ambulance first on July 2 at 10:30 a.m., Jebb ultimately left for Winnipeg at 10:30 p.m. that evening.
