The Ministry of Health and Welness deployed 10 new ambulances in September that were procured for $1.4 million through an IDB loan from Spain-based #Technove.
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
SEVERAL National Emergency Medical Services (NEMS) employees have criticised recently acquired ambulances, saying their small size and inability to accommodate large patients and essential medical equipment make them unsuitable for responding to emergencies.
However, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said the vehicles are still effective in emergencies.
He said despite their smaller size, their advantages include manoeuvrability in tight spaces and quicker response times.
Fourteen ambulances arrived from Spain last month to address critical shortage issues.
Dr Darville said the ambulances bought from Spain for about $1.5m were intended for the Family Islands as part of an Inter-American Development Bank and Ministry of Health project.
However, he said some remained in New Providence to address the shortage.
He said the Public Hospitals Authority is in the process of procuring a new fleet of ambulances for New Providence, but could not say when they will arrive.
Nonetheless, the Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) who spoke to The Tribune anonymously fearing victimisation said the new ambulances are problematic.
They reported instances where responders could not transport patients in the new vehicles and had to wait for another ambulance due to the patient’s size or because certain trauma cases could not be managed with the limited equipment.
They argued that these limitations make the ambulances unsuitable for patients and first responders, with one EMT calling them “pure garbage.”
“If we have a patient that is 250 and higher in terms of pounds, that stretcher will not be conducive to put them on,” the EMT said. “While it can carry the weight, the girth of them, it would not be conducive. If you’re 5’10 or taller, it would be very uncomfortable to put you on.”
In addition to size concerns, all of the new ambulances have manual transmissions, limiting who can drive them. An EMT claimed fewer than ten EMTs can operate the vehicles, which are better suited for shorter and smaller drivers. However, the worker said this has not hindered operations, as reserve EMTs are on standby.
EMTs also highlighted safety concerns in treating certain cases.
They said the vehicles’ cramped space makes it difficult to apply traction to patients with femur fractures, a critical step in preventing life-threatening complications like compartment syndrome.
Cardiac arrest cases, according to them, are also harder to manage in the new ambulances, which lack AutoPulse, a device that performs chest compressions.
EMTs said the AutoPulse cannot be safely stored in the vehicles due to space constraints.
“If we have a cardiac arrest management, we are relying back on the responder, the EMT paramedic, in the back of the vehicle, to do compression,” one EMT said.
“If the motion of the vehicle swings left and right in and out of traffic, it takes away from the effectiveness, and it increases the risk to the responder because you can be thrown left, right on back because of the vehicle operation.”
Responders criticised the stretchers, describing them as “outdated” and unsuitable for safe patient transfers, and warning that they could lead to “industrial accidents.”
The main concern was that the stretchers lack adjustable height settings, offering only fully raised or fully lowered positions. EMTs said this limitation increases the risk of accidents when moving patients from beds or chairs.
To compound the situation, EMTs said the new vehicles are not easily noticeable.
“It does not produce the wattage that we would like it to produce to warn people that we are coming,” one said.
Dr Darville said that while operators may have personal preferences regarding the type of vehicles, the primary focus is always on delivering timely, safe, and evidence-based care.
He said officials bought standard shift ambulances because they are cheaper to maintain and widely used globally.
“Some drivers may not be able to do standard shift, but the reality is they need to be trained,” he said.
Regarding concerns about the size of the vehicles, he said: “It’s always good to have an ambulance where you could walk around and you could stand in but an emergency medical vehicle is for immediate response and immediate delivery of the medically challenged individual. The transport is very, very quick, and it does not have to be bulky.”
Comments
Sickened 3 weeks, 6 days ago
Just another PLP failure. How many is that now? Who got the contract for sourcing these? I bet you 10 to 1 that this same crony will get the contract to buy the next set of ambulances as well. Hopefully he will have learnt that our population is obese and we need the extra wide chassis and two pedals in instead of three.
FAIL! FAIL! FAIL!
The PLP is more costly than a category 5 hurricane hitting every single island.
Porcupine 3 weeks, 6 days ago
Yup!
ScubaSteve 3 weeks, 6 days ago
Is there a Circus in town? This is a perfect example of the complete "Clown Show" that is going on within the Government of the Bahamas -- at ALL levels. The complete lack of proper planning, doing prudent due diligence, fiscal responsibility, and then follow-up is utterly incomprehensible.
Porcupine 3 weeks, 6 days ago
It is not incomprehensible Steve, if you realize that most politicians are criminally inclined and do not have the intelligence to see past their overfed bellies. They do not work, yet expect a big, fat pay
bahamianson 3 weeks, 6 days ago
If ya increase taxes for this mess, i wont be happy. We always waste money and no one accounts for it. Fire al involved with the purchase
bahamianson 3 weeks, 6 days ago
Brave disnt get his workers to get the insuran e from the guy whom burn3d down bamsi building, cost us 2million. Yhe fnm tried smith , gibson and someone else and caused us millions. The gal in abaco and th3 one in eleuthera appar3ntly stole 87,000 and 145,000. Cob the girl stole 850,000 and no one accounted. Bahamas air looses 20,000,000 every year. Fnm fir3d a lot of people from zns b3cause of over staff3d, th3 hurricane building roof collaps3d costing us money. Someone has to be held accountible!!!!! Government workers stealing from us. When will it stop. Government increases its taxes. This place is a damn mess!!!!
DonAnthony 3 weeks, 6 days ago
What idiot ordered these ambulances? Reminds me of Bahamasair’s new planes where first rows of seats have to be left vacant because of weight distribution and restrictions.
birdiestrachan 3 weeks, 6 days ago
No sense here, why buy an ambulance so small . .the ability to drive stick ship can be learned,
ThisIsOurs 3 weeks, 6 days ago
Do they have any guidelines on purchases??? This appears obscene. Which company sold these ambulances for 1.5m to the govt and through the IDB again???
Alot of money seems to flow from the IDB down the toilet... you have to wonder why.
ThisIsOurs 3 weeks, 6 days ago
"Darville said that while operators may have personal preferences regarding the type of vehicles, the primary focus is always on delivering timely, safe, and evidence-based care."
A person taller than 5'10" cant fit on the stretcher? Isnt the point of placing them on a stretcher stabilization? This is not safe
Why Dr Darville continues to defend this purchase is baffling
pablojay 3 weeks, 6 days ago
Disgraceful and arrogant PLP ! Are people in the Family Islands smaller, shorter and less deserving than those in New Providence? Just as the U.S. sends its 2nd grade products to the Bahamas and Caribbean, is the PLP government treating Family Islanders the same?
Porcupine 3 weeks, 6 days ago
We will continue to transport our old and injured in the back of pickup trucks as I have done a few times, to a substandard clinic, and then to the airport to have them flown to Nassau. This government is an utter failure of lying bastards. Every one of them.
TalRussell 3 weeks, 6 days ago
To pull the Health Minister -- Nearer to God. - Then, now is the chance, -- Where the Public Hospitals' Authority -- Still gets to disclose the devil in the process of procuring a new fleet of ambulances'. --- Like will this procurement come from the same maker and country of origin. -- Yes?
SP 3 weeks, 6 days ago
Lol.....and the fools will still vote for them!
BONEFISH 3 weeks, 6 days ago
Foolishness.Millions are wasted in the government's procurement of goods and services. I wonder which bright spark recommended the purchase of these vehicles.
TalRussell 3 weeks, 6 days ago
This Is obvious as of now....If ever you were to go shopping for the shortest wheelbase of a Cargo Van... **With the shortest stretcher room for a patient transporting in an emergency... Standing-up to a maximum of 5 ft 4 in ... Any procurement for the smallest measurement of a Mini-Cargo Van --- Hails from out of Christopher Columbus birthplace....Spain,,,Where the average height of popoulaes' in France is currently around (5 ft 3 in) -- Yes?
TalRussell 3 weeks, 6 days ago
Oops... Where the average height of popoulaes' in Spain is currently around (5 ft 3 in) -- Yes?
SP 3 weeks, 5 days ago
So instead of purchasing 6 proper ambulances, these clowns purchased 10 ambulances that cannot do the job.
The incompetence of the PLP is only surpassed by their stupidity!
empathy 3 weeks, 5 days ago
“Best Practices” which is something we should strive for and that would include consulting the end users BEFORE purchasing equipment, especially those necessitating a $1.5M outlay 🤔
Jetflt 3 weeks, 5 days ago
BINGO!!! You nailed it. Sadly, best practices is not the norm in the Gov't.
juju 3 weeks, 4 days ago
Where I live in the Family Islands, there IS no hospital to take me to in one of ten ambulances!! What a joke, and such a waste of money.
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