Stabroek News has confirmed that an ambulance that was down for some time was returned to the Mabaruma hospital and is back in service.
Minister of Health, Dr Bheri Ramsaran had submitted a written response to the Clerk of the National Assembly at the end of July, to the questions concerning ambulance services at Mabaruma, Region 1, posed by Member of Parliament Annette Ferguson in notice paper 225.
The minister’s response was circulated at the first sitting of the Parliament last week. The queries had been whether there was an ambulance servicing residents at Mabaruma at the time and if so, how many; if they were in working order and if not the reasons for them being inoperable; how long has the community been out of ambulance service and whether there was any temporary alternative arrangement in place to ensure the transportation of patients in the region; if yes, who provides the service and at what cost if any; and how soon could residents anticipate the restoration of ambulance services in the community.
The written response stated that there was no special purposed ambulance vehicle at that time in Mabaruma, as the ambulance had developed mechanical problems and also needed general undercarriage repairs and had been sent by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) to Georgetown in November 2012 for general repairs. The repairs and maintenance services and appropriate spares could not be sourced in Mabaruma.
However the minister wrote that the RDC had put in place alternative arrangements to ensure that Mabaruma and surrounding communities were never without some level of ambulance services. The RDC had funded via their budget the costs associated with providing a fulltime driver and a 4×4 pickup on a 24 hours basis, along with pre-packed emergency kits and oxygen cylinders ready for access and deployment to provide temporary ambulance services.
Ramsaran had indicated that the temporary improvised service was expected to be in place until the special purposed ambulance vehicle was repaired and returned to active service which was scheduled for the end of August 2013. It is now back in service.
