HEALTH Minister Dr Duane Sands.
By MORGAN ADDERLEY
Tribune Staff Reporter
madderley@tribunemedia.net
IN the face of criticism regarding EMS response time to the collapse and death of a 15-year-old boy over the weekend, Health Minister Duane Sands yesterday could not confirm when health services will be acquiring more ambulances.
Robert Sean Valcom Jr, an SC McPherson Junior High School student, was hanging out with friends on Saturday afternoon in a Dairy Queen at the Southwest Plaza when he collapsed.
Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) Director of Communications Judy Terrell confirmed to The Tribune yesterday that a call was made at 2.10pm regarding the matter and an ambulance was dispatched 13 minutes later.
Dr Sands added the ambulance arrived on scene 12 minutes after it was dispatched.
Wilna Joseph, Robert’s mother, told The Tribune she made the 2.10pm call, but was shocked to learn from both the dispatcher and others on the scene at Dairy Queen that previous calls had been made.
“That call that came in at 2:10, that was me who called,” Ms Joseph said. “And when I spoke to the lady (the dispatcher), she told me, ‘I already (got) couple calls, couple calls already came in. I’m trying to get an ambulance straight for him right now’ because at that time there was no ambulance available.”
These sentiments were echoed by Robert Valcom Sr, the boy’s father. “People who was there say they call the ambulance for like an hour,” Mr Valcom told The Tribune.
“The gentleman who did CPR on him said he was there an hour, trying to bring him (Robert) through. And the ambulance did not arrive.”
Mr Valcom added he called both Doctors Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital on his way to his son and was informed by both that no ambulances were available.
When asked if more ambulances should be brought in, Ms Joseph said: “I think they should, because this is ridiculous…How many more people are going to die because of this?
“If there was an ambulance, I probably would have been going to the hospital every single day. That I’d rather do, but now I’m on the road making arrangements for funeral. And this could have been avoided. They really need to do better.”
Ms Joseph heartbreakingly told The Tribune she will be turning 35-years-old tomorrow.
“What a birthday present,” the distraught mother said.
She described her son as easy to get along with and a caring brother to her 19, 11, and 5-month old children. She added he was a lover of math and science.
Mr Valcom added they were unaware of their son having any pre-existing conditions.
He noted this is the second child he’s lost, as his 12-year-old daughter died during a back surgery roughly five years ago. He last surviving child is 19-years-old.
When asked for a response to the parents’ calls for more ambulances, Dr Sands told The Tribune yesterday: “We would like to get to as many as one ambulance per 20,000 population on the road at any given time. That requires a huge investment in EMS – vehicles, equipment and staff.
“Such investments cannot be made in isolation but has to be reflective of investments in health and the general economy, education, national security, etc.
“We empathise with the grieving family,” Dr Sands continued.
“As reported, all five EMS vehicles were out on other calls, as were Doctors Hospital vehicles.
“We usually have five to six teams and vehicles on each shift. Now, with injuries, we run a maximum of five per shift.
“EMS Nassau does 18,000 runs per year. As many as 3,000 are for runs that do not need an ambulance.
“Careful consideration when calling an ambulance can reduce the likelihood that an ambulance is not available when needed.
“Further, ambulance services are not free. For the 18,000 EMS runs we collect less than $40,000 total...or only about $2.50 per run...two dollars and fifty cents.”
When asked, Dr Sands could not provide an official timeline for when more ambulances will be brought in, he noted the priority would be Grand Bahama, Abaco, and other islands; noting the Bahamas “is more than just Nassau”.
Comments
Sickened 5 years ago
Sad. But I'm not really sure why people would wait for an ambulance? Is it because if you carry someone into PMH you won't get served for 10 hours? Is it best to wait an hour for an ambulance and save 9 hours waiting in emergency? Would a sensible solution be to carry your child to the EMS dispatch center (I assume where the ambulances are waiting) and let them perform emergency services there? When my child had to be rushed to hospital I put her in the car and raced to the hospital with my hazards on, honking all the way. Not surprisingly there was not one police car on the long route to either try to pull me over or to give me an escort. Another question... no one at the scene had a car they could have used to take the child to hospital?
Sickened 5 years ago
Is there a shortage of ambulances or is there a shortage of ambulances in operation (i.e. maintained properly).
hrysippus 5 years ago
Why not use up some more of the National Insurance money that is supposed to be invested for future pension pay-outs, like happened under the PLP Christie administration. The Tribune ran a story on it at the time with the senior NIB official taking credit for spending the money held in trust on buying 4 ambulances for the PHA. it was shameful.
bogart 5 years ago
EXCELLENT POINT...
Raises legal actions on public officials.....an on da mentioning of the NIB. Another different issue didnt public funds go into BOBank where there are... private shareholders.... many including political persons...??????... benefitting from public funds going into dis bank.......repeatedly......no investigations...???????????????
MIS FEASEANCE is the willfull inappropriate action or intentional incorrect action
NON FESEANCE........on da failure to act where actions is required willfully or in neglect
MALFEASENCE.....is the willfull and intentional action that injures a party
bogart 5 years ago
....hmmmmmm....DOES DA AMOUNTS OF AMBULANCES....SUFFICIENT ENUFF TO CATER TO DA SOME 50,000 ILLEGALS.....who factually gets sic...????.......SUFFICIENT AMBULANCES...SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO ....ERRY ENROLLED STUDENT POPULATION....REGARDLESS WHEN ENROLLED BY OFFICIALS REGARDLESS OF BAHAMIAN CITIZEN STATUS.....factually does times gets sick....????????........if da shantytowns...... officials know dere inviting have cholera disease ....epidimics is dere enuff ambulances.....all dem Work Permit holders an chillrens not Bahamians needs ambulances service too....!!!...????more an more an more ambulances needed Doc.....!!!!!!!
DDK 5 years ago
Ya need more cash? Try a national lottery! A TRANSPARENT one! Stop with the underhanded numbers racket.
All you Ministers always cry for more cash, tax The People into oblivion and then squander their earnings. SICK situation.
TalRussell 5 years ago
Yes, yes it is to advocate universal health care to be made easily accessible to everyone.... and, for BahamaCARE to essentially abolish all private and private workplace health insurance plans..... forcing razor sharp focus by all comrade workers and employers for the full and viable implementation for a sustaining healthcare framework of which will fast-track and aggressively fund affordable for all universal BahamaCARE, yes, no?
FreeportFreddy 5 years ago
No
Fitmiss 5 years ago
On the family islands we have to place people in vehicles and transport them. You are taught to not move victims but where there is no nurse available and one doctor for 4 settlements, there is no choice. This needs to be addressed immediately. We are in dire need of more doctors, nurses working in properly equipped clinics ( better yet build hospitals on the Family Islands), ambulances on the Family islands.
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