'A game changer for emergency medical services': Cork University Hospital’s new helipad officially opened
An Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD who launched the Cork University Hospital Helipad in Wilton, Cork. Included are crew members, Chris Keating, chief pilot, Prof Adrian Murphy, consultant in emergency medicine & prehospital emergency care and Paul Traynor lead advanced paramedic and Deeirdre O'Keeffe, CEO, CUH Picture Dan Linehan
An Taoiseach Mícheál Martin paid tribute to Bishopstown GAA who had been allowing helicopters to land at their nearby grounds pending the development of Cork University Hospital’s new helipad which he officially opened this morning, more than 20 years after the project was originally approved.
Mr Martin, picking up on a comment made her introduction by Deirdre O’Keeffe, the acting chief executive of CUH, that it had been sanctioned, joked that he may have been the Minister to give the project the green light as he held the Department of Health portfolio in 2004.
He went on to express his sincere gratitude to Bishopstown GAA for the club’s "wonderful service to the community and to the people who benefited so much from the service to date" and added his thanks also to all who work at CUH and in the health service for their "extraordinary contribution over the years and in recent times in very, very challenging circumstances where there is a continuing pressure on our services because of a very rapidly growing population".
“This new helipad will deliver a vital service to the people of Cork and across the south of the country, providing access to time-critical specialist care by air,” he said, adding that he had been told that it was like bringing the hospital to the patient, allowing paramedics and other medical staff get to work much sooner and this would lead to improved outcomes.
“It is another example of the spirit of continuous innovation and improvement here at CUH.”
In her remarks, the CUH CEO, Ms O’Keeffe, said that the helicopter service would begin operating on a 24/7 basis "in the coming weeks" as she described the dedicated helipad at the hospital as "a game changer for emergency medical services in the region".
“Patients can now reach life-saving care within 10 minutes of landing, dramatically reducing the transfer times that were previously necessary when helicopters had to land at local GAA grounds or Cork Airport,” she said.
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