Government recently bought six ambulances to boost emergency services in the health care system.
The ambulances which cost about $34M will be attached to the new health centres including the Diamond, East Bank Demerara Regional Hospital and the Leonora, Mahaicony and Suddie diagnostic and treatment centres.
Minister within the Ministry of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran said the purchase of the ambulances is a fulfilment of President Bharrat Jagdeo’s pledge to provide emergency care at these and other facilities.
In a press release the Government Information Agency (GINA) said the vehicles have been furnished with basic emergency gear such as a mobile stretcher, equipment to secure patients and a hand-held military field stretcher. Ramsaran pointed out that the ministry has the other necessary equipment including oxygen cylinders, monitors and gauges in order to provide emergency care.
Ramsaran said buying the ambulances is one step in the ministry’s plan to set up an ambulance authority. He said too another component of efficient emergency services is training health care providers to tend to emergency patients.
The minister said the Georgetown Public Hospital has the capacity to train health care providers and plans to expand its existing programmes.
Efforts are also being made to garner capacity with assistance from supporting agencies such as the Pan American Health Organisa-tion. Currently, discussions are being held with a consultant who specializes in emergency services.
GINA said with the new ambulances in operation the ministry will be able to service some of its older vehicles. Further, it was noted that special care will be taken during the recruitment of drivers for the vehicles. “There is no need for excessive speeding and reckless driving when operating an ambulance to do the job. As long as the patient is being cared for in the ambulance by competent persons you need to get to the hospital quickly but safely,” Ramsaran said. He said too more ambulances will be added to the fleet as the finances to buy them become available. Ramsaran added that the purchase of the fleet is part of the country’s effort to provide international quality service during the hosting of major events like Carifesta X.
Meanwhile, the minister made a special plea to the public to abide by the Guyana Road Traffic Code which says that on hearing the siren of a unit from the Fire Brigade, ambulance or police vehicles must pull to the left side of the road and stop in order to allow the emergency vehicle to pass. At nights drivers must also dim their vehicles’ lights.
