Why is it taking so long for Quebec to start an emergency air ambulance system?

The lawyer for the family of a seven-month-old baby who might have survived if it hadn't taken so long to get her to hospital hopes the province won't postpone the introduction of an emergency air ambulance service any longer.

Last March, the CAQ set aside $125 million for a helicopter medical transportation service to provide emergency transport to critically ill or injured patients living between 75 and 275 kilometres from major hospital centres, easing the burden on ground ambulance services.

But nearly a year later, details about when it will start or where it will operate are still unclear.

"There have been a number of deaths and tragic situations over the years where the existence of such a service would have probably prevented or at least increased the chances of a better outcome for these patients," said Patrick Martin-Ménard, who represents Niteïyah Chilton's family.

Niteïyah was from Manawan, an Atikamekw community located about 250 kilometres north of Montreal. She died in April 2022 from bacterial meningitis.

In the report looking into her death, Coroner Géhane Kamel said the delay for a ground ambulance and long travel times before Niteïyah arrived at a major hospital likely contributed to the infant's death. More than eight hours passed between the initial call for an ambulance and the baby's arrival at Sainte-Justine Hospital in Montreal.

To avoid more deaths, Kamel urged the province to introduce an emergency helicopter transport program as soon as possible, echoing a recommendation made by other coroners in the past.

While airplane transport is available in some communities, helicopters would be "more versatile" for patients in remote areas, she said.

Quebec is the only province in Canada that does not have an organized, pre-hospital emergency air ambulance system.

In Chilton's case, it could have improved how quickly she received specialized care.

"It's an illustration I think of the fundamental injustice we see in a lot of these remote communities where there does not seem to be any significant political will to put in place proper services to ensure that the access to emergency first line care is afforded to people who live in these communities in a timely manner," said Martin-Ménard.

Jolianne Ottawa worries more people may die before the province acts.

It took two decades of lobbying for Manawan to get its own ambulance service, said Ottawa, the community's director of health services at the Masko-Siwin health centre.

It's also asked for a new road into the community for years, as the main logging road is bumpy and dangerous, making ambulance transport difficult and uncomfortable.