The provincial government’s Heart Force One medical transport program to get patients in need of cardiac catheter procedures to St. John’s and back to a hospital closer to them will be formally based in Gander.

Provincial government officials shared the news with Gander Mayor Percy Farwell.

Health Minister Tom Osborne says the pilot program has proven successful and they plan to make it a permanent feature with regularly-scheduled flights from Gander.

He says once the service is in place, they will look at the possibility of adding other scheduled procedures to the service to fill seats on the plane.

Meanwhile, the town of Gander had raised questions after government announced plans to base a centralized air ambulance service in St. John’s. Minister Osborne says while air ambulance will be based in the capital city, a helicopter will be available and on the ready in Gander for air ambulance.

He says they don’t see “pulling anything that is currently in Gander, out of Gander.”