Air Ambulance History

Irene Sutherland, the first Air Ambulance flight nurse, had an interesting first day on the job. It is recounted in a 1960 Edition of Saskatchewan News:

Irene, who had never flown before, was sitting in the cabin of a Norseman aircraft, headed north over the prairie.

They landed on a farmer's field near Balcarres, and her first aerial patient was brought aboard. He was a farmer with an injured leg. Normally, it wouldn't have been a serious matter, but gangrene had set in and was spreading. He had to reach a hospital quickly. The Norseman made a fast turn-around and took off for Regina.

In the cabin with her patient Irene was immediately aware that this was different from anything she'd encountered in her career as a graduate nurse. She was at home in brilliantly-lit, well equipped and spacious wards. She was accustomed to the clinical quiet of a modern hospital.

Now she found herself at work in the cramped space of an airplane cabin. Equipment was at a minimum. Outside, the aircraft engine beat a steady accompaniment to her work. It was a turbulent day and the patient's bunk was by no means as steady as a standard hospital bed.

There was another difference. In hospital work, a nurse always knows that if there's trouble, she can count on help. There are doctors, interns, supervisors and other nurses to turn to. Here she was completely on her own. It was at first a chilling sensation. Irene gave her patient a hypodermic to ease his pain. She managed to keep him reasonably comfortable in the 40-minute flight. When they landed, she was conscious of the fact that she'd met the first challenge of her new career. It was a stimulating experience" ( Saskatchewan News , April 1960).

Saskatchewan's Air Ambulance service was able to boast that it was the only one of its kind in the world for almost two decades. "The Saskatchewan Air Ambulance Service began as the wartime dream of 26 year old RCAF pilot, Flight Lieutenant Keith Malcolm. Australian pilots had told him of Australia's Flying Doctor Service which brings the doctor to the patient. The service envisaged by Malcolm brought the patient to the doctor" (Saskatchewan Air Ambulance Service: A Historical Sketch). Patients in need of emergency transport could rely on Saskatchewan's Air Ambulance Service to take them to various hospitals both within and outside of the province. There were some places in the province that were impossible to reach by road ambulance and others that were too far away to receive help quickly enough. Physicians would be able to call for the Air Ambulance to transport these patients in an efficient manner.