5 comments so far.Helicopter with Gozitan patient unable to land because of parked car
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The Health Department said in a statement this morning that it is investigating a case which took place at around 6.00pm on Saturday evening, when a car that had been parked on the helipad of St. Luke’s Hospital, prevented a helicopter from landing.
It was transporting a patient from the Gozo General Hospital, and an ambulance along with a medical team medical were waiting at the pad to meet it.
The Health Department said that it was informed that at that time it was impossible to remove the vehicle and the helicopter had to turn back to Gozo with the patient, to have to return again to Malta later.
The vehicle was eventually removed from the helipad and the helicopter returned to Malta at around eight in the evening, when the patient was taken to Mater Dei Hospital to provide the necessary care.
The Department Health Department said that it is taking this case very seriously and had launched an immediate investigation. Depending on the outcome of this investigation the Department said that it will take the appropriate disciplinary action against who was involved, including suspension from the workplace. At the same time, it will take all necessary measures to ensure that a similar event does not happen again.
File photograph AFM
Now lets hope that person who parked the car will also have to pay for all expenses concerned. Whoever he or she may be. Poor patient and the worries of his relatives!!!!
There seem to be conflicting stories as to whether the car was parked on the helipad or blocking a gate giving access to the helipad but either way the driver was an idiot and needs to be dealt with through the courts. This could have resulted in a death if the patient had been more seriously ill. Also, whilst the driver of the car was at fault surely there is someone at that location whose job is to ensure that the helipad is accessible at all times.
Most people in Malta drive as if they are the only person on the road. The person probably thought if the space is good for a helicopter, it’s good enough for me. The hot weather doesn’t help the mind set much. All I’ve seen this last couple of days is legions of lunatics defying every convention and putting others, myself included in peril.
I don’t undersatnd why the helicopter pilot didn’t alert the nearest police station and have a cop go to the site and smash the car door open and drive off making way for the helicopter to land
Police are able to get a car moving without having the keys in place.