The Tribune

By CHESTER ROBARDS Tribune Senior Reporter crobards@tribunemedia.net RESPONDING to violence-related emergency calls was the major cause of extreme wear and tear on the country's ambulances last year, a Public Hospitals Authority statement claimed yesterday. Herbert Brown, the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) managing director, said Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responded to almost 18,000 emergency calls last year, and as of last month had already logged 1,400 emergency calls. "This in any country would place incredible strain on these vehicles," he said. Mr Brown said in the statement that the PHA's ambulances, which began to break down one after the other last week, had not been able to get the scheduled maintenance they needed because of the increased emergency calls related mostly to crime. "Emergency vehicles at Public Hospitals Authority have been under considerable strain as a result of a significant increase in trauma - most of which are related to crime," the PHA's statement said. According to the statement, increased emergency calls have also affected the PHA's Routine Repair and Maintenance Programme. "Our goal was to have each vehicle brought in for a routine maintenance check every 300 - 400 hours/or every two weeks. We have not been able to do that at this time because of the high demand in emergency cases." Last Thursday, it took two ambulances to get a man to the emergency room after the first responding ambulance broke down on the way to hospital. Mr Brown said funding has been approved for five new ambulances at a cost of $72,000 per vehicle. He said when the vehicles arrive they will have cost the PHA $124,000. EMS workers who are dissatisfied with how the EMS department is being run complained to The Tribune that the ambulances bought for the public EMS services were cheap and not fit for the pitted Nassau roads. However, Mr Brown said in the PHA's statement that ambulances are purchased from "one of the most reputable companies in the hemisphere" and that each one is "custom made and outfitted specifically for conditions here in The Bahamas". The money for the five new ambulances will be contained within the government's 2012/2013 budget, according to Mr Brown. EMS workers also alleged that the companies hired to carry out maintenance on the PHA's ambulances do not have the knowledge to properly overhaul the vehicles. Mr Brown said in the PHA's statement that he and EMS manager Alvery Hanna are satisfied that the three companies hired to maintain the ambulances will be able to address the maintenance problems that befall the vehicles. He added that "Emergency Vehicle Operations Training" will continue for EMS personnel "in order to improve response times in emergency cases". "We want to make it clear that service is our first priority, and in the coming months the public will see us deliver on that," Mr Brown said.