The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

AN emergency medical flight into Exuma International Airport on Wednesday night may have been affected by a runway lighting issue, and the intended patient later died, Exumas and Ragged Island MP Chester Cooper said.

In a statement, Mr Cooper said he had requested a full investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority of The Bahamas after receiving an initial report that runway lighting may have affected the flight.

“I have been advised that preliminary investigations confirm that routine checks of runway lights at sundown confirmed that they were fully operable at that time. Unfortunately, I am advised that the intended patient of the emergency flight has passed,” he said.

Mr Cooper said he wants a full investigation to determine what happened and said he would update the public as more information emerges.

Yesterday, some residents pointed to construction at the airport in recent months, including paving work on portions of the runway.

The incident drew a political response from Debra Moxey-Rolle, the FNM candidate for The Exumas and Ragged Island, who said it reflected a deeper breakdown in healthcare services on the island.

“For years, the people of the Exumas and Ragged Island have been asked to accept less when it comes to healthcare,” Ms Moxey-Rolle said. “What we are seeing now is not inconvenience. It is a failure. And it is dangerous.”

She said concerns were raised on October 26, 2025, but only a temporary fix followed, and conditions have worsened since.

“This is totally unacceptable. Where is your heart, Dr Michael Darville? Where is your representation, Mr Chester Cooper?” she asked. “The people of Exuma elected you to serve us. Instead, we have been left to struggle and suffer. How many of our people must postpone our care because we cannot afford to pay private institutions or to leave the country for basic, decent healthcare?”

Ms Moxey-Rolle alleged conditions continue to deteriorate, with emergency medical flights costing about $1,800. She said the clinic’s morgue is not functioning because of the heat, and that Exuma has no ultrasound technician, forcing pregnant women to travel to New Providence for routine prenatal scans. She said laboratory services that should be offered weekly now take place only twice a month, and sometimes only once, because of budget constraints.