PORTAGE | The Portage Fire Department emergency medical services will no longer transport patients to the Methodist Hospitals Southlake Campus in Merrillville.

The City Council on Tuesday night approved the change, reducing the number of hospitals to which a patient can be transported from five to four. The ambulance will still transport patients to both Porter's Portage and Valparaiso campuses, St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart and Methodists Northlake Campus in Gary.

Fire Chief Bill Lundy said the Merrillville hospital is 17 miles from City Hall and, depending on the patient's status, is an average 50-minute drive. Because of the distance, the department has not been transporting emergent or priority patients to the Merrillville facility.

Lundy said requests to Southlake also have declined. They've only received one request so far this year; three last year; six in 2005; 18 in 2004; and 16 in 2003.

Most of the patients transported by Portage's rescue units go to the Porter Portage Hospital Campus, he said. It is the closest facility. The second most popular hospital for transport is St. Mary Medical Center even though Methodist's Gary campus is only 8.8 miles away.

Lundy said there are not many patients requesting to go to the Gary facility and that requests to be transported to Valparaiso and Hobart have increased.