THE need for winching operations to be reinstated at Tamworth’s Westpac Rescue Helicopter base is back in the spotlight after a climbing accident near Coonabarabran, but the minister responsible for the decision has all but ruled it out.
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The two Tamworth-based helicopters were forced to cease winching operations in July of 2013 as part of sweeping NSW government reforms of aero-medical services.
A community backlash followed the decision and this week the debate has been reignited after a rock-climbing accident in Warrumbungle National Park forced the call-out of one of the Newcastle based helicopters to carry out a winching operation.
The Tamworth-based helicopter was initially tasked and dropped off a medical team, but when it was clear the patient would require winching, the second helicopter had to be called.
Tamworth Regional Council deputy mayor Russell Webb, who led the first community campaign about the loss of winching capabilities from the region, was outraged yesterday, arguing it was a waste of resources and could potentially put lives at risk.
He says it’s time to ramp up the case again for the reinstatement of winching locally before it’s too late.
“It puts people potentially in a terrible situation ... and the sad thing is it will take someone to lose their life before this short-sighted decision from the minister for health and her department is reversed,” Cr Webb said.
He said in Wednesday’s incident it took an hour and 45 minutes to get the second helicopter from Newcastle, additional time the injured patient was forced to wait.
There was also the expense, he said, the trip from Newcastle to Coonabarabran and back, leaving “not a lot of change out of $10,000”.
“We, as a community, should be bitterly disappointed the health minister has taken away a service we had for 13 years, and which was provided incident-free,” Cr Webb said.
Health Minister Jillian Skinner told The Leader yesterday there were no plans to reassess winching operations at the Tamworth base.
“Winching is a high-risk, specialised activity that requires the deployment of highly-skilled and proficient staff,” she said.
“We put the safety of our patients and paramedics first, which is why winching operations at the Tamworth base ceased.”
Minister Skinner said only two winch missions had been undertaken in the area this year, but NSW Ambulance would continue to monitor the situation in Tamworth.
The 58-year-old man at the centre of Wednesday’s operation fell about 15m while climbing in the national park on Tuesday, spending the night at the bottom of the cliff, before his female companion was able to abseil out on Wednesday to raise the alarm.
He was taken to John Hunter Hospital with chest, head and internal injuries.
