The Provincial Health Minister, Theresa Oswald has announced that they are planning to build a helipad at Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre (HSC). The helipad will improve the effectiveness of the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS) helicopter ambulance. After the construction of the new helipad, the STARS air ambulance will be able to stay permanently in Manitoba.

The helipad will be part of a new seven-storey, 39 million dollar diagnostic imaging facility that will feature state of the art pediatric MRI equipment. More than $10 million will be spent on equipments in the new facility.

The construction of the helipad will begin in August and will be completed in the next two years.

At present, the helicopter lands at the airport before transporting patients to the hospital by ground. The provincial government signed a contract with the Alberta-based air ambulance service to provide emergency airlift services in 2009, due to the floods this year.

Oswald said that the performance of star team in Manitoba's flood fight was appreciable. Since its arrival, the STARS has responded to 60 calls and transferred 34 critically-ill patients.