Residents whipped into action – ambulance not available

The BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) said one of its ambulances is out of commission; this as reports emerge that no ambulance was available on the weekend to transport a female crash victim from Sea Cows Bay to Peebles Hospital in Road Town.

Reports are that persons who telephoned the hospital from the crash scene were told that the ambulance team was on another scene at Beef Island.

With no option, Good Samaritans in the Sea Cows Bay area managed to transport the injured BVIslander to Peebles Hospital.

The three-vehicle accident unfolded near the Struggling Man’s Place – a restaurant in Sea Cows Bay.

Allegations are that a female motorist – surprised by a speed bump – lost control of her vehicle, which collided into another vehicle that was being driven by the woman injured.

The vehicle belonging to the injured woman then reportedly slammed into a parked car.

It is not clear if the woman taken to hospital has been released, but she reportedly suffered a broken leg.

When contacted yesterday regarding the aforementioned reports, Chairman of the BVIHSA Bishop John Cline said incidents like the one described ‘absolutely do not ‘ happen frequently.

He described it as a one-off occurrence.

“I think we have two ambulances. One is being repaired and the other is working,” added Bishop Cline, who stated that he was not sure how long one of the ambulances has been out of use.

For some time now, there have been concerns about the ambulance service at the BVIHSA.

Minister of Health Ronnie Skelton, during a House of Assembly sitting in April last year, described the complaints about response time as irrelevant.

“All of us want to make sure that we have decent health services in the BVI. You could complain about the doctors, the nurses, how the ambulance don’t come, the ambulance take 10 minutes to reach – all that is irrelevant in the big scheme of things, because you might not have an ambulance.”

“A person get their hand severed and everybody waiting for the ambulance to come. Pick up the person, carry him to hospital; that’s what you have to do,” Skelton said last year while chuckling.

He then clarified: “If a person is injured like in a scooter accident, you got to be careful [about moving them] because you may cause more harm.”