A new partnership between Interior Health and BC Emergency Health Services will see air ambulances in Kamloops carrying blood from Royal Inland Hospital on board.

BCEHS says it means patients in need of blood transfusions will get the care they need faster as paramedics will have full-time access to blood from the Kamloops hospital.

“It is going to be a game changer for the people we serve,” Brian Reichert, the acting chief of Station 370 said. “We cover a large area with a lot of boat traffic, ATVs, motorcycles, and other vehicles on our highways.”

“For us to have a blood product for someone who has suffered an incident, will buy us the time we need to get them to hospital and into surgery to get the help they need.”

There will also be an emergency re-supply of blood available at the Kelowna General Hospital, if needed, where many trauma patients in the Interior end up. Prior to this partnership, BCEHS says pre-hospital blood was only available on air ambulances based out of Vancouver and Parksville, on Vancouver Island.

Blood is prepared by Transfusion Medical Services at Royal Inland Hospital and couriered to the station. When the helicopter is dispatched, the blood is carried in a secure temperature-controlled cooler.

Reichert says the station is re-supplied with two fresh units of blood twice a week, noting that if the blood is not used, it is returned to the hospital.

“At BCEHS, we’re always looking for ways to improve pre-hospital emergency care for British Columbians, whether they’re in Kamloops or the Kootenay,” added Dr. Mike Christian, BCEHS’s chief medical officer.

“We’re so pleased to partner with Interior Health on this innovative program that will allow our critical care paramedics to give patients life-saving blood transfusions as quickly as possible when minutes and seconds count.”