YELLOWKNIFE (APRIL 25, 2016) - The Government of the Northwest Territories is pleased to announce that Med-Response will now play a key role in coordinating Medical extractions. Further, we are pleased our air ambulance provider, ACCESS, will now assist with remote medical extractions of known persons from a known location outside a defined community. This means that injured people in remote locations will now be picked up by fully equipped air ambulances.
With the addition of this new service, injured people in remote areas will have the opportunity to receive the highest quality of care while being transported to the nearest medical facility. When there is a remote medical extraction, Med-Response will work with skilled paramedics and flight crews of ACCESS to ensure speedy assessment, triage and transport.
Members of the public should still call the RCMP or their Health Centre for emergency services. RCMP and Health Centres will work with the Med-Response team at Stanton Territorial Health Authority for dispatching emergency services.
Quotes
“I am pleased to provide this additional service to individuals in the NWT. Emergencies are not planned, but in the event they occur, we are now able to help.”
- Glen Abernethy, Minister of Health and Social Services
“ACCESS is very pleased to be able to support this initiative from Stanton Territorial Health Authority, which will ensure anyone requiring medical assistance away from a community will be able to receive it through the use of our specialized aircraft and skilled medical flight crews.”
- Alasdair Martin, ACCESS President
“We appreciate the collaborative efforts of our partners, the Department of Health and Social Services and ACCESS, who, along with the Northwest Territories RCMP are working together to ensure public safety is a priority throughout the NWT.”
- Chief Superintendent Ron Smith, Commanding Officer RCMP “G” Division
Quick Facts
- Med Response provides dedicated clinical staff will respond to calls 24-hours a day to help community health practitioners stabilize critical patients. They will assess patients and dispatch medevac flights quickly when needed.
- Med-Response is not a service directly available to the public.
- Remote emergency medical extractions is not an insured service covered by the NWT Health Care Plan. All Patients who access the remote medical extraction service will be responsible for the associated costs.
- Each community is able to reach RCMP emergency services by dialing their local prefix followed by 1111. Example: 695-1111 (Fort Simpson)
Related Links
Media Inquiries for the Department
Damien Healy
Manager, Communications
Department of Health and Social Services
Tel: (867) 767-9052 ext. 49034
Email: damien_healy@gov.nt.ca
Media Inquiries for the Minister
Andrew Livingstone
Senior Cabinet Communications Advisor
Department of Executive
Government of the Northwest Territories
Box 1320 Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Tel: (867) 767-9140 ext. 11091
Cell: (867) 447-0443
Fax: (867) 873-0169
E-mail: andrew_livingstone@gov.nt.ca
Web: www.gov.nt.ca