http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/regio...lance_16864979
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Thanks Todd kind a answers the question about ambulance service in Negril.Good read means be careful on your vacation.
One of the many things that tourists can learn on this very informative board, has to be this subject.
Accidents will happen no matter what, but be extra careful, with Negril being sometimes ill equipped
for many emergencies.
I found myself having more cautious behavior this past trip than last year.
Didn't jump the lighthouse at Negril Escape, like I did last time.
Took plenty of time crossing every street, and staying a little closer to shore with my swimming,
especially after having a few !! Hey, when I go fishing in Ontario in the summer, we get
dropped off on an island for days,with no chance of rapid rescue. You just have to be as careful
and cautious as you can, and still have a great time!
We saw that scene live during our most recent trip. The tipped over ambulance.
Travelers also can look into emergency medical evacuation as part of travel insurance. ( also Repatriation insurance) As i get older, i need to consider these "what ifs"
I always get travelers insurance.Never used to but the older I get it's a must.Cheap and would want to be Med-vac to the states for anything serious.
Good article!
I carry a pretty well thought out first aid kit (including supplies to bandage/tourniquet serious wounds and stabilize broken limbs) so I have a better chance at getting to MoBay hospital alive. I leave it with a local after each trip. I keep medical evacuation insurance. I tend to not do activities that I consider high-risk; cliff jumping, zip-lining, drunken wandering, etc. My biggest hazard so far has been those uneven stairs and the tiny random steps (like a 1/2 inch) they throw in to what could be an otherwise level surface! On the Rocks has one that gets me every time!
Goldilocks, you had me till you brought up '' drunken wandering'' lol.!
We have been talking about this for the last few trips...Any suggestions on where to obtain med-vac insurance?? If something were to happen, do you have a choice in going to Sav or Mobay ?? Thanks! Don
I get a policy from this site when I bookQuote:
Originally Posted by don+shelley
http://www.negrilonestop.com/insurance.shtml
We buy the insurance the same time as buying our plane tickets. This time around, it was like $130 for the 10 day trip. The thing about medivac though that my wife and I have discussed... If there is no ambulance in negril, just where is the medivac gonna come from?
Good question to ask the insurance companies.
Thank you Very true... The first hour or so is very critical. Would hate to be taking a taxi to Sav with a heart attack :(
You don't want to get to Sav with a heart attack. You have to get to Mobay, that's critical.Quote:
Originally Posted by don+shelley
and make sure to have some extra cash set aside for an ambulance ride....not sure about the costs to Sav -because i once had a friend be a patient there and no way in hell would i go there...The ride to Hope mobay which is private type place isnt really a hospital-more like a clinic...then theres cornwal in Mobay that is a hospital (by developing nation standards).. Anyway its going to costs you a few hundred dollars to get there at least-and some dont take credit -only cash..and yes PLEASE have emergency travel ins.-so you can get med-evac to miami if it life=threatening.
Yes, **** can happen anywhere-just be warned that you will not get the same type of care in the same manner and time frame as in the states when you need healthcare of any type.... Maybe someday this elusive negril hospital will actually break-ground...until then the best you got are a few local drs office in negril -....no urgent care type clinic-,etc.
HUssyband: you would have a ambulance take you MBJ airport where the med-evac plane/team would be waiting....I've never heard of any link up between negrils airport and MBJ....
I saw an ambulance in Negril a couple of weeks ago, and this was after the crash. Private ambulance???
BTW..To have med-evac insurance isnt that costly..i usually pay around $50. .....Everyone should get it -not just older folks or people with healthcare needs....you can be young and healthy as a horse still suffer some type of severe injury/aliment where you'd want to be cared for outside of Jam...
It makes no sense you pay all this $$ for a vacation but cant cough up a few more $$ for some piece of mind or possibly somethign that will save your life or a loved ones...
Yes -theres a few private ambulance companies thru-out the island....Quote:
Originally Posted by booger
Anybody have a phone number for a private ambulance?Quote:
Originally Posted by suzengrace
Thank you,suzengrace.... So if something serious were to happen, who do you call first, 119 or private ambulance ?... where would you suggest getting med-evac insurance ? We are getting older and come down 5 trips x 10 days year so thought it would be good idea to have a plan in place otherwise it sounds like you're screwed...Thank you again...
Booger and Don/shelly.....I dont have that info around me right now...I'm not sure about the calling 119- ...
I think this Board -N.com -should be providing the basic info in regards to the ambulances THAT do service Negril and what they're aprox. costs are to Mobay and Sav (god forbid) and what form of payment they take-as well as expected response times and method of payment ...
Especially since Rob is a full time resident in Negril it should be easy for him to provide this info.. and am sure he can answer the question re: calling 119...(I nor no one close to me have had to call)
I would go to Jamaicas online yellowpages-there is a samll list of prvate ambulance services -with ads, websites ..
go to : jamaicayp.com up at the top search for what: ambulances and where: island(outside kingston)
looks like one is out of mobay and takes credit cards (ambucare) and Lifeline medical response says on their ad that negril is one of their locations.... they're are a few others..
Again, I would hope that Rob-who lives in Negril would be able to provide the info I listed up on top...
The ambulance/taxi ride to MBJ is pretty much how I figured it would go. I did get pretty sick one year in ocho rios, ended up leaving the island early. It was nothing that would require medivac, but when I say the ride to the airport was among the most miserable experiences of my life... It's an understatement. I'd prefer to never get sick enough to need an ambulance... In negril or at home for that matter.Quote:
Originally Posted by suzengrace
I looked on Mobay Hope's website and found this with ambulance phone #:
http://www.mobayhope.org/ambulance.cfm
I also found Ambucare's website that lists phone #s at the bottom: http://www.ambucareja.com
I emailed Ambucare to ask if they service Negril, the time estimate for pickup and transfer to Mobay Hope and how they handle payment.
I also hope that Rob can provide info on private ambulances that service Negril, payment methods and contact #s. Would be great to have a quickly accessible tab with this info at the top of the forum. It's important for all of us, but particularly those of us who travel solo...if we're able to make arrangements for ourselves if in need of an ambulance. I would also carry this info in my wallet in hopes that someone would check and follow up with my directive if I weren't able to do so myself.
Melody why dont you pm Ron about it..My pm/edit capabilities have been long taken away-and not sure if he's following this post..If you are Rob I would expect you to reply to above....I think its a very important detail that tourists coming to Negril should and would want to know about it..
There are four private companies that I am in contact with at the moment. Two are "membership" type services, and they need to determine how they would handle "short term" members. I have explained that many of you come here more than once a year, so there are many factors they need to take into account before they can come up with prices. One has the idea to offer it as a form of "travel insurance" type of thing, and they are checking with their legal department and actuaries on how to make this work.
All the companies service prices are based on the severity of the incident, for instance a heart attack would be treated much differently than car accident and also the distance that needs to be travelled.
But they all would expect payment, or at least proof that payment can be made before services are rendered. Until I get the details directly from each of the companies, there is not much I can post at this point.
To find the private ambulance services, you can use the Jamaica Yellow Pages as suggested or simply google "negril jamaica private ambulance" just as I did to find out who services Negril. One of the companies want to respond directly here and I am working with them on making this happen.
Getting the correct information to all is important.
Excuse my ignorance on this, but if one company wants to respond here, then why can't they just do that?Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob
In January, we noticed that many many visitors are as old or older than we are. Lots of Gray hairs going to Negril these days.
We like to give ourselves the best chance possible in case of a heart attack by staying at Seastar where Chris and Francine have a defibrillator on site and a staff that is trained to use it.
Also be very very careful when walking as well.
Travel insurance is good; but not if you can't get to the hospital.
I'll be waiting to see what comes of this..Not one of them could give at least an "aproximate" rate for transfer to Mobay or even Sav ???? I'm surprised someone that has lived there so long and is so well versed about the communty has not come across this situation- maybe not you in particular but friends or fellow boardies who had to use the private ambulance-i thought maybe you'd have some feedback from someone whos dealt with issue...
ok, i'll check back and see what info turns up....thanks
It's a rather large company. They have never done anything like this before, so they need to have whatever they post approved by some committee and their legal department I would assume. Who knows how long that will take.Quote:
Originally Posted by TAH
These companies may even be working on partnering with other foreign insurance companies. There can be a lot involved. Other than one company, they were rather surprised when I showed them the tourism interest. They were created to serve the needs of the local residents and marketing to visitors to the island is a new thing for them.
I have never had to use the ambulance. I have been to the hospital but always went with a friend.Quote:
Originally Posted by suzengrace
From those who I know have used a private ambulance, they paid by credit card and got reimbursed by their health insurance company back home. I didnt want to pry into their private matters to find out how much they paid or how much they got reimbursed, it didnt seem like any business of mine.
Feel free to contact the companies yourself if you so desire.
Gotcha, thanks. That makes sense.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob
This is so taken for granted - as tourists we purchase travellers insurance and would expect medical emergency services. I think this is crucial information which should be readily available at hotels and excursions such as Ricks. Hotels should also have a defibrillator like Sea Star. I also found this site for air ambulance - http://www.intlairlink.net/air-ambulance.html.
I find this all very interesting. I have never purchased insurance that would pay for an emergency requiring me to be flown out but I do see the benefit for doing so. I will be monitoring this thread to get the best information I can for future stays.
A little off the topic but, during a 5 month stay last year I became very sick. I was doubled over in pain, disoriented and unable to walk without assistance. Needless to say, I was scared and didn't know what would happen. I live in the bush so even getting to a hospital emergency room was a chore. I got a ride in a taxi from Accompong Town to Black River Hospital and was admitted into Intensive Care for treatment and observation before finally moved to a Men's Dormitory to finish up a 5 day stay. After the 5 days, the doctor still wanted to keep me but I am stubborn and wanted to finish the treatment myself at home as it was just minor medication.
What the whole ordeal cost me was $250.00 US. $100 for the private taxi to and from the hospital and another $150.00 for 5 days in the hospital. That was $30 per day average. I couldn't even find a hotel room for that price let alone a hospital room. Now, I am not saying that everything was par with my "first world" excellent care I receive from the Veteran's Hospital in WPB, Fl. but it was on par with any rural hospital that I have been in the US.
I had an infection in my digestive system somewhere and a possible pancreatic attack. Of course if it would have been more major I would have been "S*** out of luck" and stuck in a Foreign Country but I am not so afraid now of using the Jamaican Health Care System if it becomes necessary.
I do, however, want to explore my other options for future stays.
Peace and Guidance
Monica,
That is part of the information I am trying to receive from each of the companies. Do all travellers insurance policies cover the private ambulance costs, and if so, how much? And if not, which ones do?
What health insurance plans have reciprocal coverage in Jamaica?
Each person travelling abroad should check the fine print of their health insurance policies and find out what services are covered and not covered abroad. Most decent policies would have these expenses covered, but unless their is a reciprocal arrangement with an insurance company in Jamaica (I think Blue Cross has one with Sagicor, but am not positive) you would need to pay locally, keep the receipt and have your insurance company reimburse you when you get back home.
To get all the correct information that is being asked in this thread, as I stated, there are a lot of issues involved to be accurate - it is not just a simple, "for this ambulance ride you pay this much". And remember that the hospital/emergency costs will need to be covered as well. if you need an ambulance, the ambulance cost may be the least of your worries.
Two of the companies I am dealing with also offer air ambulance services and have offices on other Caribbean islands. This is one of their specialties.
The Air Link Express charter service link you posted is essentially a local island charter service that offers air ambulance as one of their services. The majority of their business comes from taking passengers across the island - normally the MoBay-Kingston route for business people who need to conduct business in Kingston. They do not specialize in air ambulance services, but do offer that service.
And this situation is something on the mind of each person who lives in and around Negril. We live with this on a daily basis - which is why Cliff Reynolds was so adamant about the problem in the article posted. But the fire department spokesman was correct, it was a motorcycle (two actually) that caused the accident. I drove by moments after it happened and one of the cyclists was being helped into a taxi to go to the emergency room in Sav. He was banged up pretty bad.
Thanks for your responses Rob.
It will be good to know all those little details when they are ready to be publicized. In the meantime, I'd just like to know names and numbers as well as email/websites for those that do service Negril, preferably with trained personnel and decent emergency equipment, both ground and air, if offered from the Negril airport. I didn't have much success identifying that by googling. I could then take that info to my global insurance provider to find out if that's approved and how to handle for reimbursement. My company would ultimately be the deciding factor for reimbursement, not the one providing the service. A big question is whether the companies take only cash or accept credit card.
Thank you for looking into this, Rob... Could literally be life saving information...
The wife and I stay in a two bedroom villa for the winter .The second bedroom is for friends and relatives rotating in and out.
Our nephew ,new wife and 1 year old baby were with us this past Feb. The baby ended up with an ear infection from the flight down
which ended up with siezures that they couldn't control.We told the front desk and they called a private ambulance.The ride took only 30 minutes
My wife and nephew and his wife rode in the back.Halfway they pulled over as my nephew was white from riding so fast in the back .They gave him oxygen and put him in the front.Three days later they were still in the Sav hospital.Somewhere around 100 people were in the waiting room.Anger and frustration was in everybodies face.During the night the police came in three times to defuse frustrations.They gave the baby a spinal tap without anestetia to rule out menegitis .They took the medicine that the parents had brought along and refused to let them administer them.A call back home to their baby doctor to assure they were doing the right thing angered the Sav dr. saying she knew how to handle this.Their dr. back home told the parents to get the baby to the U.S. as quick as they could as time was of the essence.Multiple siezures are not good.The parents put down two credit cards for $18,000 for med vac.The hospital would not give medvac any info.Three days after arriving at the hospital the medvac ambulance came with 2 American Dr./nurses and immediately administered the medicine the parents had and flew them to a Florida hospital where they stayed for 4 days before they flew home.
The private ambulance ride to Sav was $50 paid in advance.They were there in 5 minutes.The wife and I will carry insurance from now on.We also dicussed which hospital we would like to be brought to with other long stayers in our complex and we all agreed to take he extra time to go to Mobay than Sav. Hope this helps with the discussion.We certainly don't want to go through that again.
Farmer
Quote:
Originally Posted by farmer
Farmer, I am sorry to hear what your family had to endure. I have yet to hear a good thing about Sav Hospital and one should be advised to make the extra leg to Mobay. Thanks for sharing your story to help us all be better informed.