Canada launches EpiShuttles in the fight against Covid-19

Canada is facing an increasing number of Covid-19 cases, and safe transport is key to handling the pandemic. Keewatin staff and hospital staff at the Health Sciences Centre’s simulation lab and Stretcher Service of Manitoba have now gone through extensive training, including trial runs, in using the EpiShuttle.

Janet Busse, Executive Director of Medical Operations at Keewatin Air, said: “We now have operational certification from Transport Canada to deploy single-patient isolation and transport units called EpiShuttles in our Pilatus PC-12 planes. Keewatin, along with Alberta Health Services fixed-wing air ambulance, has EpiShuttles in operation.”

Transporting patients safely during the pandemic

With the EpiShuttles in place, the medivac service providers can perform patient monitoring and full intensive care of infected patients during air, sea and land transport.

“Canadian healthcare workers and first responders are making an admirable effort transporting patients while putting their own health on the line. We hope that the EpiShuttle will make their job safer and patient transport easier,” Ellen Cathrine Andersen, CEO of EpiGuard, said.

In case of a local outbreak, Keewatin Air can offer fast and safe transport, even from remote locations. The aircraft PC-12 is widely used in the north, where its short take-off and landing capabilities make it able to service the smallest and remote communities with modest airstrips. This includes missions to Alert, which is the most northerly community in Canada and the world at latitude 82 degrees, about 800 miles from the North Pole.

Allowing for patient monitoring and intensive care

“We found the EpiShuttle to have unparalleled features. The EpiShuttle allows patient monitoring and full intensive care treatment during transport, including emergency procedures like intubation and insertion of central venous catheters,” said Busse. “In addition, for Covid-19 patients, the adjustable backrest is extremely important to keep coughing at a minimum. However, it was the fact that the EpiShuttle is re-usable, making it the most cost-efficient product on the market, which made us decide on the EpiShuttle.”

The EpiShuttle is in use all over the world. Five major Air Forces have already purchased the EpiShuttle as well as ambulance services, private air transport companies and hospitals.