Government approval has been granted for the construction of the new A$72m Queensland Regional Aeromedical Base at Brisbane Airport.
The hub will connect Queenslanders to major hospitals and life-saving medical treatment, with new patient transfer facilities to care for people as they transition between aircraft and ambulance transfers. It will also feature state-of-the-art hangers for aeroplanes, helicopters, administration and a medical base for regional patients and donor transfers.
“Brisbane Airport plays an essential role in the 24/7 connection of Queensland to urgent medical care. The Aeromedical Base will bring all providers together into one innovative world-class hub, with a transfer facility providing patients on the move with the very best clinical care possible,” said Martin Ryan, executive general manager of commercial at Brisbane Airport Corporation.
The 14,470m2 multi-tenanted facility will be located between Brisbane Airport’s two runways to accommodate speedy access for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), air ambulance firm LifeFlight and Queensland Health, the regional health department.
Construction of the new Queensland Regional Aeromedical Base will support an estimated 200 jobs. Tenders for the project will be called by Brisbane Airport Corporation in the coming fortnight.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service employs more than 400 people in Queensland and operates 20 aircraft, with its Brisbane base a pivotal link to eight operational bases across the state. Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section) chief executive officer Meredith Staib said the new aeromedical facility will be unlike anything seen in the state before.
“The new base will include a state-of-the-art short stay bay with 12 patient beds, enabling overnight stays prior to transfer, if necessary, as well as a dedicated patient transfer facility where patients can be moved onto, or off aeromedical aircraft out of the elements, in comfort and in a world-class clinical environment."
"This new base will act as a gateway for more than 5,000 Queenslanders who are aeromedically transferred to Brisbane’s tertiary hospitals from right across the state each year," Staib said.
The LifeFlight facility will accommodate the unique combination of two medically configured Challenger 604 fixed-wing aircraft and two AW139 helicopters in a purpose-built hangar.
“This is a fantastic outcome for the future and those who will benefit most are the people of Queensland; especially those in remote and regional areas who rely on services such as ours to ensure they have access to the same levels of medical care, as those who live in our urban centres,” said LifeFlight Australia deputy chair Jim Elder
Construction of the base is set to be completed in 2024.
Images: Brisbane Airport Corporation
