The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL


Tribune Staff Reporter


kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

THE government plans to acquire about 15 new ambulances for Princess Margaret Hospital and Rand Memorial Hospital, Health Minister Dr Michael Darville said yesterday, as officials move to stabilise emergency response following operational problems.

He said the vehicles are being sourced from an overseas vendor but could not say where the procurement process stands.

Dr Darville said recent disruptions at the two hospitals were not caused by too few ambulances but by delays transferring patients off stretcher systems inside the vehicles.

“It was because the stretchers that are in the ambulance that carry the patient, we were so swamped that we could not take them off the stretcher, but that is being resolved, and I think we are back to normal as we speak,” he said.

He estimated new ambulances typically cost between $150,000 and $180,000.

“Ambulances are very expensive, brand new ambulances. You can’t find an ambulance below 150,000 — some go as much as 180,000,” he said.

The incoming units will be larger models intended for New Providence and Grand Bahama. Previously acquired vehicles are being deployed across the Family Islands through the emergency medical technician programme.

“The ambulances that are being procured for the PHA and the Rand Memorial Hospital is a larger version that we believe is best suited for Grand Bahama and New Providence.”

Several islands already have units, including three in Andros and others in Cat Island, Long Island and Bimini, with additional services expected once trainees complete certification.

“We are about to activate that EMT service as a result of our graduates from the EMT programme, from the PHA Academy,” he said.

Separately, ambulances provided under the Bahamas Aviation, Climate and Severe Weather Network (BACSWN) $427million Heads of Agreement will expand EMS pre-hospital care and dedicated aviation medical services in Nassau and throughout the Family Islands once the memorandum of understanding is signed with the PHA and the Department of Public Health. These are highly specialised in catering to EMS services for aviation-related incidents, costing $300,000-plus each.

“I believe we have a meeting this week with them to look at the MOU and how this will play out,” he said. “But that’s another avenue where the residents in the southern Bahamas will have access to quality EMT services, along with my EMT programme, making it reasonable for our residents not to go through the trauma being placed on a back of a vehicle.”

Michael Strachan, BACSWN’s chief operating officer, said the agreement is nearly complete.

“We’re currently in the final stages of the MOU being done and signed,” Mr Strachan said. “We expect that to be done before the week is out.”

He said once approvals are completed, deployment will begin quickly.

“So once all of the relevant agreements are signed with the Department of Public Health, Public Hospitals Authority and Bahamas First Alert project management company — which is a joint venture between the government of The Bahamas and BACSWN, those ambulances are going to be deployed,” he said.

“We expect the estimated deployment of those ambulances to be fully first areas should be by March 15.”