IN THE last three months 36 people who live in the Central West have had their lives put at risk because they had a medical emergency at night and were not allowed to be transported by the Orange based helicopter because it isn’t funded for the service.

These figures have been handed to the Central Western Daily just days before the result of a 12-month review into whether or not the region can justify a night flying service out of Orange will be released.

Under the existing arrangements no patient who requires emergency treatment at a hospital can be transported by the Orange based helicopter after 6pm.

Instead patients have to wait for a helicopter to be deployed from Sydney or Wollongong which is 60 minutes each way.

Member for Calare John Cobb said the latest revelations from a source who cannot be named, are further proof the people of the Central West are being short-changed when it comes to emergency treatment.

“Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is coming to Bathurst nerxt week and he has said the buck stops with him when it comes to health.

“There is no greater example of people west of the mountains not receiving a fair go with the lack of a 24-hour service a perfect example.”

In once instance on October 23 a man who was kicked by a horse near Cowra at 6pm suffered a severe open laceration to the leg but was denied a flight to Orange Base Hospital and was instead transferred by road the next morning.

A medical source has also told the CWD that type of open laceration has the potential for an infection to set in and possible loss of limb.

“All of this just continues to show how unfair the whole system is,” Mr Cobb said.

Last year following a serious motorcycle crash near Parkes involving two motorcyclists because Orange’s helicopter wasn’t funded to fly, one of the injured men had to wait three and a half hours for a helicopter from Sydney.

The second man was transferred via a fixed wing ambulance aircraft which arrived four-and-a-half hours later.

Unfortunately one of the men later lost his arm.

For many years the “golden hour” has been widely accepted and used as a measurement of the critical time-frame which can affect outcomes of patients suffering trauma which requires medical intervention.

This golden hour is counted from the time police and other emergency services are notified, to the time a patient is on the operating table.