Ailing ambulance
Skyward may pull Kivalliq service

Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Dec 22/99) - Skyward Aviation may be forced to pull its air ambulance service out of the Kivalliq before the end of December, says company vice-president David Dunseath.

The plane and its crew have been based in Rankin for more than a month.

A lack of calls has been an ongoing problem between Skyward and the Keewatin Regional Health Board (KRHB).

Although there is no actual contract, the policy for a number of years has been that Keewatin Air is the primary medevac service provider and Winnipeg-based Skyward is used on a backup-only basis.

"We've been trying to access this market since the original request for proposals in 1996," says Dunseath.

"The call volume for the region is not high, the miles are. You just can't make a go of it on a call a month.

"You can't be in the Kivalliq Region and exist on scraps."

KRHB chief executive officer, Dr. Keith Best, says he's looking at the situation, but he's not on Skyward's timetable.

"They're saying, 'We need to have it done now,' and I can't just drop everything else," says Best.

"I'm not about to be drafted into that type of situation."

Best says the medevac policy will remain status quo until he thoroughly examines the situation.

He says the territorial government is also examining medical travel to ascertain the best way to provide service.

"With only a few months before the integration of the regional boards, there's no doubt there will be a request for proposal for this service and I will be advising the government we have to get moving on that request.

"In the meantime, it is a good idea we have some form of policy in place to ensure fairness in providers, but I'm not rushing into this."

Dunseath says he's still interested in providing the service and hopes a decision on policy is reached soon, but time is running out.

"I've been trying to access this market for years and they won't call me.

"All I want is fair access, but I haven't been afforded the opportunity to show our service.

"I might be able to hold on for another couple of weeks, but that's it."

Best says that's simply not reasonable for him to devise a new policy.

He says Skyward may have been trying to gain access for years, but he's only been aware of the situation for the past few months.

"The difficulty I have with their 'time' statement is I find it to be manipulative.

"You'd better drop what you're doing and act now because if you don't, we're going elsewhere.

"We will address this, but we're not going to address it to suit their timetable."

Best says a new policy should be drafted to allow for healthy competition, but at the same time, provide proper assurance the provider will be there when needed.

"Whether we have two providers or three, assurances one of the providers will be there when needed is the key point in any policy."