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“Throughout this pandemic, we have seen that when profits come before people, something has to give. The profit motive has no place in our health care system.” — Jerry Earle, NAPE President
St. John's (12 July 2021) — Records released to the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees (NAPE/NUPGE) under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (ATIPPA) show that the private air ambulance service is far more expensive on a per-patient basis than the public system.
Numbers show private services more expensive than public
“Our members in Air Services have been telling us about the wastage in the private system and what that is costing the people of the province,” said Jerry Earle, NAPE President. “These records confirm their concerns and attach a price tag to the wastage.”
The records below compare the private and public systems:
| Year | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 |
| Operator | EVAS (Private) | EVAS (Private) | PAL (Private) | PAL (Private) | Air Services (Public) | Air Services (Public) |
| Number of Patients | 269 | 295 | 165 | 160 | 1053 | 944 |
| Total Flight Hours | 723.6 | 828.5 | 496.8 | 502.1 | 1983 | 2088 |
| Average Hours per Patient | 2.7 | 2.8 | 3 | 3.1 | 1.88 | 2.21 |
| Total Cost | $2,124,799 | $2,834,215 | $2,268,915 | $2,192,465 | $5,620,097 | $5,428,564 |
| Average cost per patient | $7,899 | $9,608 | $13,751 | $13,703 | $2,444 | $2,873 |
“There has been considerable talk, conjecture, and fear about privatization of public services in the wake of the PERT/Greene Report,” said Earle. “This is just another example of the pitfalls of privatization.”
Patient care first, not profits
“Throughout this pandemic, we have seen that when profits come before people, something has to give,” said Earle. “The profit motive has no place in our health care system.”
“NAPE/NUPGE has made the case to the provincial government that air ambulance services should be contracted in,” said Earle. “When response time is critical, the people of this province need and deserve a strong, effective, and efficient public air ambulance service that puts patient care above all else.”
“NAPE/NUPGE has presented concrete recommendations to the government on ways to improve the current air ambulance system by strengthening the public system and depending less on private contractors,” said Earle. “Our union, and the air ambulance members we represent who are experts in the field, firmly believe that implementing our recommendations will lead to better service delivery and reduced costs.”