Health Minister Tom Osborne is defending the province’s decision to privatize air ambulance service.

Osborne says there are currently seven air ambulance providers in the province.

He calls that a “fragmented” system, because with so many players coordination can be difficult.

He notes that not all aircraft are designed specifically for medical transport, which can be a concern.

Osborne says medical staff of the new air ambulance system will be public servants, but the operators of said aircraft will be private.

He says government has been advised that they cannot purchase a fleet of helicopters and airplanes, which is why the aircraft and their pilots will be private, and the medical staff will be public.