Trail Talking

Whether it’s in health care or other sectors, our government provides so many services to Manitobans. I enjoy learning as much as possible about them. As an example, I recently toured the STARS helicopter air-ambulance service’s facilities. Its Manitoba headquarters is at the Winnipeg airport and its services are of great importance to rural areas such as Dawson Trail, which is within the STARS one-hour dispatch and transport area.

In one year’s data for example, 20 STARS missions were flown in the Dawson Trail area. Flight times and decisions to transport by STARS helicopters are affected by a variety of factors including the weather, the availability of resources, the locations of landing sites and the conditions of patients. An emergency physician with a background in transport medicine selects the most appropriate option and oversees the care of the patient during transport.