Hiiumaa Hospital Awaits State Decision on Emergency Patient Transport to Mainland

Hiiumaa has only one ambulance brigade, which cannot leave the island. The hospital awaits a clear decision and support from the state to ensure emergency patient transport to the mainland.

Hiiumaa Hospital faces a serious challenge – the island has only one ambulance brigade, which cannot leave the island to transport critically ill patients to mainland hospitals. This means that emergency patient transport to the mainland requires a separate solution, which hospital management is awaiting from the state.

The problem is particularly acute because island conditions require additional resources and coordination. Whereas on the mainland one ambulance can quickly transport a patient to hospital and return, on Hiiumaa, the departure of the only brigade would leave the island without ambulance service – a risk that cannot be tolerated.

Hiiumaa Hospital has turned to the state to find a systemic solution for emergency patient evacuation. Options could include helicopter service, dedicated transport arrangements, or the creation of an additional ambulance brigade, but none of these is simple or inexpensive.

Island healthcare provision has long been a complex issue in Estonia. On small islands with limited populations, it is difficult to provide all services with local resources, while residents cannot be placed in an unequal position compared to their mainland counterparts. The state must find a balance between efficiency and equal access.

Until a clear solution emerges, Hiiumaa Hospital staff bear heavy responsibility for ensuring that no emergency patient is left without timely care. The hospital is waiting for the state to make concrete decisions on this matter quickly.