Claude Mills, Staff Reporter
TOURISM INTERESTS in Negril are hopping mad over the inadequate emergency medical services in the resort town at the height of the winter tourist season.
The town is currently without an ambulance, which hampers the ability of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) staff to respond to accidents and other emergencies.
"We're trying our best, but the situation is terrible. On Christmas Day alone, we had three accidents involving four patients, and two of those people had to drive themselves to the station for us to clean their wounds because they knew we have no ambulance here," a high-ranking member of the EMS told The Gleaner. The emergency medical techni-cians have had to use the fire truck to transport the EMS staff to the scenes of the accidents.
"This is woefully inadequate. The inside of the truck is small, and staff have to travel on the outside to motor vehicle accidents. We can't transport injured patients to hospital in Savanna-la-Mar, which is 20 miles away, so it is the police who have had to step in and assist," the source said.
According to the source, the parish of Westmoreland has been without an ambulance for the past two months. One of the ambulances reportedly crashed last November and has not yet been fixed, while the other met in an accident on August 24, while responding to a call. The latter was fixed, but broke down again soon afterwards. Three buses which had been used to transport staff and patients are also out of commission with engine and other mechanical problems.
INADEQUATE EQUIPMENT
"The parish of Westmoreland has no ambulance since October 24. People who buy vacation packages from overseas do so on the presumption that emergency medical services are fully operational, but that is not so in Negril because we have inadequate equipment," the EMS member continued.
In the meantime, a press release from the Negril Chamber of Commerce criticised the state of affairs that currently obtain in the town, and outlined two recent incidents in the town.
"The first of these was a fire that destroyed the popular Best Price grocery store in the town ... the second happened only three days ago (on December 23), when a local boy drowned and another barely survived drowning off the popular seven-mile beach in the heart of the town," the release said.
According to the source at the EMS, "The drowning incident needed advanced medical treatment which we could have provided had an ambulance been available. He was transported to hospital using a police vehicle."
District officer Delroy Anderson said that the fire department there just received a replacement fire engine a week ago.
"We have a shortage of units here in the parish, the thing is the units have done their time, as soon as you fix one, there is another problem. It really affects our ability to respond to emergencies," Mr. Anderson said.
Wayne Cummings, the president of the Negril Chamber of Commerce, blamed the government for the situation.
"Our people and businesses are so heavily taxed but we cannot see where the money is being spent. At this rate, I unfortunately expect us to lose more valuable lives and property," he said.
