$1m needed to help build helicopter pad

The public is being called on to donate $1 million to help build a helipad on top of Christchurch Hospital to give critically ill people a better chance of survival.

The Ma¯ia Health Foundation’s 13 minutes campaign is based on the time it takes to get patients to Christchurch Hospital from the current helicopter pad in Hagley Park.

In 2016, then-6-year-old William Coughlan was camping in Wanaka with his family when he fell off his bicycle and ruptured his liver. He was flown by helicopter from Wanaka to Christchurch for urgent treatment.

His father, Pat Coughlan, who flew in the helicopter with William, said it was a huge shock not knowing the extent of his son’s injuries.

‘‘We spent a number of minutes travelling from Hagley Park to the hospital. In our case it wasn’t critical, but in a lot of cases it is critical.’’

He said it seemed crazy to fly all the way to Christchurch, land in Hagley Park and then take an ambulance to the hospital. William spent eight days in hospital and made a full recovery.

‘‘Luckily we had a great outcome from it with good medical staff, but the only link in the chain that was sort of a bit

"Every minute counts – it could be the difference between life and death."

Father of seriously injured boy

broken was the long lag of time for us getting from the helicopter to the hospital for medical care,’’ his father said.

‘‘Every minute counts – it could be the difference between life and death. Every minute feels like 10 when a loved one is critically injured.’’

Canterbury air retrieval service clinical leader Dr David Bowie said getting a helipad at Christchurch Hospital was something he has been hoping for since he started working there in 1999.

The proposed helipad will be on top of the west tower of the new acute services building. It is expected to be large enough to fit two helicopters and have an elevator leading directly from the roof to the emergency department and intensive care unit. A medical stabilising facility is also proposed to be built on the roof to give patients oxygen and other treatments as soon as they leave the helicopter.

Plans for Christchurch Hospital’s new building include a single rooftop helipad, but the foundation believed a larger pad was needed for future growth.

Bowie said avoiding the 13 minutes it took to get from the helipad to Christchurch Hospital would be very significant as it would add more time to the

60-minute survival period known as the ‘‘golden hour’’.

‘‘The human body can look after itself in a state of shock for maybe an hour, but unless you start fixing them up, the body systems will start shutting down.

‘‘We really focus on getting as much treatment to the patients in that

60-minute period.

‘‘It’s your best chance of survival after a big accident – anything that eats into that golden hour is bad,’’ he said.

The Ra¯ ta¯ Foundation has promised to donate $500,000 towards the helipad if the Ma¯ ia Health Foundation can raise the other $500,000.

‘‘It’s a really big incentive for us to really get on board and make it work. We’re the only tertiary hospital that hasn’t got a helipad built into the campus,’’ Bowie said.

The 13-minute campaign was launched at Paparoa Street School yesterday, where William and 500 of his fellow students created a giant number 13 to raise awareness for the campaign. Visit www.13minutes.co.nz to donate.