Another ambulance needed in Negril

I am writing this post in hopes that people will help lobby for the cause of another ambulance in Negril. I have been traveling to Negril for the past 20 years and I am very much in love with the island of Jamaica. This past trip, however, was a nightmare. I am the daughter of the woman who suffered a heart attack on the Negril Beach Club property. The lack of response by any medical professionals is heartbreaking to me. Not just because of the loss of my mother, but because the Jamaican people deserve better too. There were over 15 people who called the ambulance, both locals and tourists. No response service EVER showed up. The attempts by myself, my fiancé and the guests proved insufficient. The police didn't even show up until close to an hour after she had passed, and then there was a several hour wait for a coroner as her body lie on a pool chair in the parking lot. This is unacceptable. EVERYBODY deserves a chance and I would like to see better for Jamaica and my Jamaican friends who are family to me. If anyone is willing to help me with this cause, I would be forever grateful. Things like this should not happen, and I plan to make it a mission that nobody else has to go through what we did and are still going through.

I'm very sorry for your loss and the way it happened must have felt helpless. My wife and I discussed this and I brought up the idea of having an overall "visitor tax" which may be something like 10 USD or something per visit. I would imagine something like this would be more than welcomed by visitors and also create "x" amount of jobs for the people. Visistors to Negril are often repeat visitors and I am confident people would be willing to donate supplies and/or money. A little by everyone could go a long way.

This ought to develop into an interesting discussion.

wow. I'm so sorry for your loss. :(

Negril.com needs to take up donations for an ambulance and medical supplies.

What a horrible ordeal. My heart goes out to you and your family.

Wonderful of you to want to make a difference, what a great way to honor your mother's memory. This is something I'm sure many will want to support. I pray your cause gathers wings and fly.

I am so sorry for your loss. Blessings to you and yours.

sorry for your family that had to endure this . . . since this is not hearsay this thread should be allowed to develop . . .

An hour for the police to get there??? I have heard of this over and over. No excuses. So sorry for your loss and having to go through such nonsense.

So sorry for your loss. Prayers of peace to you and your family.

Mcselva,

We are terribly sorry to hear about the passing of your mother. Our thoughts and prayers have been going out to you and your family and her friends.

As you know from your 20 years of visiting Jamaica and Negril, you have seen things progress. As a little village of approximately 5000 residents, Negril has been making strides over the past two decades. And while Negril does have an public ambulance service, there is currently only one.

Since we live here and are all to familiar with this situation having to deal with it on a daily basis, you can be certain that you are not alone in wanting to see better for Jamaica. To that end, Winston Wellington, the owner of Travellers Beach Resort, who was instrumental in obtaining the ambulance for Negril has started the Negril International Hospital (NIH) project. Here is some information gleaned from their website:

MISSION
Our mission is to provide thoughtful, professional and complete medical treatments which specialize in emergency care, and surgical procedures. This will aid both the Jamaican nationals, and the over one million tourists that visit Negril each year. We also strive to provide a 24 hour emergency based hospital facility that will enable patients to receive specialized and urgent health care at all hours of the day. Furthermore, we will have a professional, compassionate staff that will cater to all patients’ needs, providing comprehensive medical treatments for emergency and surgical care.


GOALS
The Hospital is designed to become a recognized leader in its specialized field; exceling in emergency, clinical, and surgical services. The facility will feature over 100 acres of clinical space which will include a state of the art emergency room, a cardiology lab, and a radiology department. In addition to several operating rooms. Moreover, the hospital will feature 100 beds for in-patient care. Currently, there are no private hospitals in Negril to fully service both the inhabitants of Negril and the one million tourists that travel there annually, and the Negril International Hospital aims to fill this void.

http://www.negrilhospital.org/

There are links on the site to donate directly to this ambitious cause, which would vastly improve the medical services available in and around Negril. Donating to this worthy cause would probably be the best way to bring about the much needed services for visitors and locals alike. The first phase is projected to be opening in 2015. The Noel Holmes Hospital in Lucea was just given 18 new beds by the NIH project in January, and the Sav La Mar Hospital had previously received 25 new beds. Here was the article in the Gleaner from February 16th:

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...western92.html

The NIH contact information and Board of Governors and Advisory Board are listed below:

CONTACT


Negril International Hospital
200-09 Hollis Avenue :: Queens New York 11412
Voice: 718-753-9920 :: Fax: 718-230-7831


Travellers Beach Resort,
Norman Manley Blvd
Negril Westmoreland
Jamaica West Indies
Tel: 876-957-9308
Email: bill@negrilhospital.org


BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Winston Wellington, NIH Chairman
Bill Tingling, CEO
Wayne De-Leon CFO, Treasurer
Dr. Rudolph Willis, Secretary
Carl Reid, Paramedic
Dr. David Garwood, MD
Dennis Hawthorne
Elaine Allen Bradley RN, BSC
Patrick Fletcher
Barry Westcarr
Dr. Eric Shoenfeld, MD
Dr. Richard Constable, MD
Winthrope Wellington, B.S., M.B.A.
Dr. Robert Clarke, MD
Angela Sutherland


ADVISORY BOARD
Dr. Robert Clarke, MD
Dr. Winston Davidson, MD
Christine Chadwick
Dr. Winston Price, MD
Dr. Una Clarke
Edward Stephenson
Ken Cooney
John Brown
Karl & Fay Rodney
Telieth Drummond
Winfield Wellington, B.S.
Wingate Wellington, B.S., CPA
Keith Dwaynie
Sandy Vasceannie
Joyce Perry
Fitzroy Hall

I truly feel horrible for you and wish things could have happened completely differently for you and your family. While travel insurance is critical to help one should the needs arise, if services are not available what does it really matter. I will still buy travel insurance and hope and pray if something were to happen that all will play out as needed.

Winston Wellington should be commended for the efforts he is making to help out his neighbors and travelers alike. I would pay $10 to a donation if it was set up.

First, my condolences to you and your family. My heart goes out to you.

Rob, you read my mind as I recently watched this video from Winston Wellington on their efforts to implement local services.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK_lGGL0WHY

I would encourage everyone to contact him at the links Rob provided and hopefully everyone can come together for this worthwhile cause.

The link that Rob provided, you can click and donate! http://www.negrilinternationalwellne...org/donations/

I plan on donating and I will share this link to get more people involved in doing so!

McSelva - So sorry for your loss - while we were there we heard of another heart attack while someone was snorkelling. I carried the numbers for 2 local Doctor's with me while we were there - my husband has high blood pressure - high cholesterol and sugar diabetes - certainly a recipe for disaster. I also have insurance .
I wonder if a Doctor could have been called , if he might have been able to do something for your mother until the ambulance got there. One day while we were there I was certain I saw two ambulances on the same day within a short while of each other. Not sure if one was the local one - van shape and the other could have come from somewhere else - it was more like your typical square type.
Thoughts and prayers for you and your family.

My heart goes out to you. Sorry there was not an ambulance available. There does need to be more medical help for the tourists and the people who live there.

doubt that a local doctor would have been of any help . . . i recall on my last november visit waiting 2 hrs. for dr. grant just to arrive to her office!!! in the meantime, the nurse/person that mopped the floor had stitched up a stab victim without anasthetic for everyone to hear his screams . . . so it goes in the third world, the island we love to visit . . . until something crucial happens, we really don't think about the bad situations . . . two years ago i got sick in the hills of portland, real sick, rather than going to the port antonio hospital, i drove my rental car to the airport and pretended to be fine so i could get on the next flight home . . . just saying . . .

third world folks, jamaica is third world!!!!

So sorry for your loss, my heart goes out to you and your family..

A Dr. did eventually show up (40 minutes later...at least), although it was too late and my mother had already passed. This is the problem. We are all used to "soon come", but in situations like this, there needs to be more options. I am not starting this thread to start trouble, but to raise awareness. I have spoken with Winthrope Wellington as well as another member of the chamber before we left Jamaica last week, and they are also willing to help. We really all need to band together to fix this. I have been told that the ONE ambulance was in use, and also, another story was that it was "garaged". Whatever the case, I have lost mother/best friend and I can not sit by and let anyone else go through this. There needs to be more. Bottom line. Police need to show up and help if need be. Ambulances or rescue personnel need to respond. Tourist or local......nobody should have to live this nightmare. It's just not fair.

Mcselva, I'm so sorry to hear about your Mother. And I can't imagine calling EMS and having nobody showing up.

Rob, you could answer this question (maybe it's been answered and I missed it). I was told a couple of years ago from someone living in Negril that the ambulance isn't driven by paramedics, it's pretty much just a ride to the hospital. Not much training on their part. Is this true?

And the dispatchers...do they have any training in emergency situations?

I am so sorry for you loss and the horrible events that you went through. My prayers and sincere condolences to you and your family. My God be with you in your time of grief~ Bless!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mcselva

I have spoken with Winthrope Wellington as well as another member of the chamber before we left Jamaica last week, and they are also willing to help.

---

Mcselva,

It sounds like you have already gotten in touch to raise the awareness with those that are able to make this happen. Winthrope is Winston Wellington's son and as with beds donated to the already existing hospitals, it would be my educated guess that a second ambulance is in the works. Just as with me and Lisa, they also live here and must face the same reality everyday. We all want the best health care we can get as minutes in an emergency can make all the difference. Thank you for taking your time talking with those who can and will be able to make a change in this situation.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CarrieBean

Rob, you could answer this question (maybe it's been answered and I missed it). I was told a couple of years ago from someone living in Negril that the ambulance isn't driven by paramedics, it's pretty much just a ride to the hospital. Not much training on their part. Is this true?


And the dispatchers...do they have any training in emergency situations?

---

Carriebean,

I think this could be best summed up by a post in previous thread - the dispatchers, ambulance and trained EMTs helped to save the life of another boardie's family member.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jimbo

As someone who's family member Needed medical help, (heart trouble) I was Impressed with the EMTs
Maybe Negril is now in need of another ambulance. (100j per guess to update EMT services?)

---

In case anyone missed my previous message about making donations to the entity that can make this happen, I will re-post it once again:

"Since we live here and are all to familiar with this situation having to deal with it on a daily basis, you can be certain that you are not alone in wanting to see better for Jamaica. To that end, Winston Wellington, the owner of Travellers Beach Resort, who was instrumental in obtaining the ambulance for Negril has started the Negril International Hospital (NIH) project. Here is some information gleaned from their website:

MISSION
Our mission is to provide thoughtful, professional and complete medical treatments which specialize in emergency care, and surgical procedures. This will aid both the Jamaican nationals, and the over one million tourists that visit Negril each year. We also strive to provide a 24 hour emergency based hospital facility that will enable patients to receive specialized and urgent health care at all hours of the day. Furthermore, we will have a professional, compassionate staff that will cater to all patients’ needs, providing comprehensive medical treatments for emergency and surgical care.

GOALS
The Hospital is designed to become a recognized leader in its specialized field; exceling in emergency, clinical, and surgical services. The facility will feature over 100 acres of clinical space which will include a state of the art emergency room, a cardiology lab, and a radiology department. In addition to several operating rooms. Moreover, the hospital will feature 100 beds for in-patient care. Currently, there are no private hospitals in Negril to fully service both the inhabitants of Negril and the one million tourists that travel there annually, and the Negril International Hospital aims to fill this void.

http://www.negrilhospital.org/

There are links on the site to donate directly to this ambitious cause, which would vastly improve the medical services available in and around Negril. Donating to this worthy cause would probably be the best way to bring about the much needed services for visitors and locals alike. The first phase is projected to be opening in 2015. The Noel Holmes Hospital in Lucea was just given 18 new beds by the NIH project in January, and the Sav La Mar Hospital had previously received 25 new beds. Here was the article in the Gleaner from February 16th:

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...western92.html

The NIH contact information and Board of Governors and Advisory Board are listed below:

CONTACT

Negril International Hospital
200-09 Hollis Avenue :: Queens New York 11412
Voice: 718-753-9920 :: Fax: 718-230-7831

Travellers Beach Resort,
Norman Manley Blvd
Negril Westmoreland
Jamaica West Indies
Tel: 876-957-9308
Email: bill@negrilhospital.org

BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Winston Wellington, NIH Chairman
Bill Tingling, CEO
Wayne De-Leon CFO, Treasurer
Dr. Rudolph Willis, Secretary
Carl Reid, Paramedic
Dr. David Garwood, MD
Dennis Hawthorne
Elaine Allen Bradley RN, BSC
Patrick Fletcher
Barry Westcarr
Dr. Eric Shoenfeld, MD
Dr. Richard Constable, MD
Winthrope Wellington, B.S., M.B.A.
Dr. Robert Clarke, MD
Angela Sutherland

ADVISORY BOARD
Dr. Robert Clarke, MD
Dr. Winston Davidson, MD
Christine Chadwick
Dr. Winston Price, MD
Dr. Una Clarke
Edward Stephenson
Ken Cooney
John Brown
Karl & Fay Rodney
Telieth Drummond
Winfield Wellington, B.S.
Wingate Wellington, B.S., CPA
Keith Dwaynie
Sandy Vasceannie
Joyce Perry
Fitzroy Hall"

I'm so sorry for your loss and thank you for sharing your story and bringing attention to this situation.

I too am very sorry for your loss.
I was in a terrible car accident in Negril in 2009 with all ribs cracked or broken (where they have one of the stop lights now :-)) and I was a fortunate one. Not only did an Ambulance arrive -- yes it took a while, and the ride was bumpy to Sav, the police and locals helped me on the scene until they arrived and I spent 3 days in the hospital with very good care.
Getting back to the original dilemma ... even if a hospital is built and ambulance service increases .. small steps can be taken sooner by the resorts by having defibrillators on site. You do not need to be trained to use them, as when the pads are placed on the person, a voice walks you through the process. CPR can still work if there is a pulse .. with no pulse, little can be done to save the person without other intervention, so a doctor could only do the same as a trained first aider .. at least that is my understanding. I don't know how many doctors there are on-call in Negril .. they could carry a difibrillator as well. That being said, you never stop CPR and especially on a child. Read up on CPR as things have changed. I'm not sure if Customs would allow one to bring a difibrillator or not. Some can be purchased as low as $400 and they do need maintenance. As a additional suggestion, we can bring first aid books to hotels and teach some of them how to perform emergency first aid. I'm sure all possible was done in this instance without the presence of the medical profession and I do support the need for the hopsital and more ambulances.
| believe we become all too familiar with the place we love and travel to over and over again. I would recommend the extra purchase of emergency flight insurance to get you home if you need it. In my case, I didn't need that .. however my current insurance did cover me for all my expenses (which I did not pay upfront), and increased my return flight to first class. The doctor recommended I did not fly for two weeks; however the medical personnel from my insurance company reviewed the doctor's report and said I could fly home on my scheduled date which was one week after the accident.
Bless

I am extremely sorry for your loss. I think we all agree a hospital and better medical care is needed in not just Negril, but Jamaica as a whole. I'm going to do my part and donate to the new hospital project and hope everyone does the same.

I can provide some insight why the ME didn't show up right now. My fiance works for one the medical examiner's offices here in MN. I can tell you that even here, depending on the location, the wait can be a few hours for ME personnel. I have no idea on the laws in Jamaica, but typically the ME's office will show up and release the body to the family or funeral home after a brief investigation based on age, medical history, scene, etc. Police will typically cover the body, secure the scene, and wait for the ME. I would not be surprised if the ME were on-call at home and/or located in one of the surrounding cities. The drive alone could take a hour or more for them to get there.

80% of the 6 billion people in the world live on less than $10. The quality of life and access to medical care that most of us enjoy in North America is not the norm. This is tragic and definitely not fair, but that's the way things are. One of the reasons I like Jamaica is that our hard earned money goes to people who really need it.

Mcselva -- Along with everyone here, I'm so very sorry for your loss. I also very much appreciate that you've shared your story and brought this topic to the forefront.

rompcherry -- thank you for sharing your experience as well. You pretty much posted my same thoughts as to the more urgent need for on-site equipment, response and training....it is crucial.

Rob -- Thank you for providing the information related to the hospital. I will revisit those links for donation information. In addition, if you are aware of any way to support the more immediate need of first aid training, and/or purchase and placement of defibrillators in locations throughout Negril, please let us know.

I am also in healthcare and couldn't agree more with the addition of defibrillators.

There was a program a few years back sponsored by the Jamaica Tourist Board, and several hotels such as Seastar Inn have defibs and trained staff to operate them.

To be honest though, with the advancements that are being made nearly everyday - the idea of mobile, portable, affordable and easy to use defibs is not that far away.

The NIH (Negril International Hospital) project will be able to provide so much of the needed services that all of us living on this end of the island would like to see available. Supporting this cause will be a major advancement for the entire western end of the island!

Big ups to Chris and Francine for just doing it and adding a defib to the premises. Responsible business owners not only give back to the community, they do whatever is in there power to take care of those that are on their premises.

Thanks Rob, but one good experience without explanation and one poster saying the word " EMT's" doesn't answer my questions. It's not something I thought much about before, but have had a recent experience that has really made me think about how precious life is and how quick it can be taken. Negril has gotten really popular as a tourist destination, and Jamaica needs to get their chit together to accommodate that. Forget the tourists for a second...what about the locals?

What I want to know is...Is there someone trained in that ambulance or are we better off grabbing the first taxi or car willing to rush us to the hospital?

First,Mcshelva I'm so sorry for your loss. And cant imagine what you went thru during this ordeal. CarrieBean that was what I was wanting to know too. Thanks for asking. What ever the answer is,looks like a wake up call to all of us visitors to at least be aware of what is available to us. And certainly anything that will benefit locals as well is important!!

Mcselva, I am so sorry for your loss. My mother just had two heart attacks the beginning of January, so I have an idea of how terrifying it was for you. Prayers :(

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CarrieBean

What I want to know is...Is there someone trained in that ambulance or are we better off grabbing the first taxi or car willing to rush us to the hospital?

---

I thought I had already posted that there are trained EMTs in Negril - but to make it a bit more clear there ARE trained EMTs with the proper medical equipment in the ambulance. As for the judgement call on whether you should grab a taxi -it truly depends on the situation - if a simple trip to the hospital or clinic is needed - then take a taxi. But if serious medical attention is needed - call the ambulance.

Here is a copy of what I also posted back in beginning of August:

The new ambulance at the Negril Fire Station is now operational! It has completed all of its certifications and licensing requirements and has already been servicing the local community. This is a great addition to the private ambulance that has been Negril's only ambulance option of late.

The new ambulance is fully equipped with certified EMTs and can be reached by calling either 119, or 112 and the newly added 911 emergency phone numbers! Here is a pic taken today at the Negril Fire Station.

http://negril.com/forum/attachment.p...2&d=1346362067

We would like to thank those involved in making this happen including folks such as Cliff Reynolds and Daniel Grizzle from the Negril Resort Board, Damian Salmon of the Negril Chamber and Winston Wellington who is spearheading the Negril International Hospital project. A big up to everyone involved!

In case anyone missed my previous message about making donations to the entity that can make this happen, I will re-post it once again:


"Since we live here and are all to familiar with this situation having to deal with it on a daily basis, you can be certain that you are not alone in wanting to see better for Jamaica. To that end, Winston Wellington, the owner of Travellers Beach Resort, who was instrumental in obtaining the ambulance for Negril has started the Negril International Hospital (NIH) project. Here is some information gleaned from their website:


MISSION
Our mission is to provide thoughtful, professional and complete medical treatments which specialize in emergency care, and surgical procedures. This will aid both the Jamaican nationals, and the over one million tourists that visit Negril each year. We also strive to provide a 24 hour emergency based hospital facility that will enable patients to receive specialized and urgent health care at all hours of the day. Furthermore, we will have a professional, compassionate staff that will cater to all patients’ needs, providing comprehensive medical treatments for emergency and surgical care.


GOALS
The Hospital is designed to become a recognized leader in its specialized field; exceling in emergency, clinical, and surgical services. The facility will feature over 100 acres of clinical space which will include a state of the art emergency room, a cardiology lab, and a radiology department. In addition to several operating rooms. Moreover, the hospital will feature 100 beds for in-patient care. Currently, there are no private hospitals in Negril to fully service both the inhabitants of Negril and the one million tourists that travel there annually, and the Negril International Hospital aims to fill this void.


http://www.negrilhospital.org/


There are links on the site to donate directly to this ambitious cause, which would vastly improve the medical services available in and around Negril. Donating to this worthy cause would probably be the best way to bring about the much needed services for visitors and locals alike. The first phase is projected to be opening in 2015. The Noel Holmes Hospital in Lucea was just given 18 new beds by the NIH project in January, and the Sav La Mar Hospital had previously received 25 new beds. Here was the article in the Gleaner from February 16th:


http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...western92.html


The NIH contact information and Board of Governors and Advisory Board are listed below:


CONTACT


Negril International Hospital
200-09 Hollis Avenue :: Queens New York 11412
Voice: 718-753-9920 :: Fax: 718-230-7831


Travellers Beach Resort,
Norman Manley Blvd
Negril Westmoreland
Jamaica West Indies
Tel: 876-957-9308
Email: bill@negrilhospital.org


BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Winston Wellington, NIH Chairman
Bill Tingling, CEO
Wayne De-Leon CFO, Treasurer
Dr. Rudolph Willis, Secretary
Carl Reid, Paramedic
Dr. David Garwood, MD
Dennis Hawthorne
Elaine Allen Bradley RN, BSC
Patrick Fletcher
Barry Westcarr
Dr. Eric Shoenfeld, MD
Dr. Richard Constable, MD
Winthrope Wellington, B.S., M.B.A.
Dr. Robert Clarke, MD
Angela Sutherland


ADVISORY BOARD
Dr. Robert Clarke, MD
Dr. Winston Davidson, MD
Christine Chadwick
Dr. Winston Price, MD
Dr. Una Clarke
Edward Stephenson
Ken Cooney
John Brown
Karl & Fay Rodney
Telieth Drummond
Winfield Wellington, B.S.
Wingate Wellington, B.S., CPA
Keith Dwaynie
Sandy Vasceannie
Joyce Perry
Fitzroy Hall"

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hille141

The quality of life and access to medical care that most of us enjoy in North America is not the norm.

---

hille141 thank you for the perspective.

It is reasonable for people to expect that just as they will experience many different foods, fun and sights on a vacation to a different environment, they will also be served by the medical facilities available in those locales.


Mcselva, I feel for your loss. I recently had a similar but not so public experience with a beloved aunt.

It is a eye opening experience to visit a "emerging Nation"...its because we live in the North America, where some of the finest, modern care and service is available RIGHT NOW........quicker for the wealthy........that is how we judge other people and places....
that is where the difference lays, this is a country where the majority of the wealth is held by a small group of residents, to assure themselves of high medical care they must leave and go to that care, it may be a quick flight to Kingston, or to the States...so Fine Health Care is available...How much ya got?..how healthy ya wanna be....
any country you visit you will run across the same conditions..to view them fairly, you must first lower the standards that you have grown up with......

The photo is pretty....but im confused. the womans daughter that started this thread said that fifteen (15) people called the ambulance and it never arrived. Sooooo, whats good does it do to have a nice Mercedes ambulance loaded with trained emt's if it doesn't respond to 15 calls?? That's the part I don't *get*.

Jaherring...how did you miss that Mcselva said it may have been on another call?
You can call as often as you want, but if it's out on another call, it can't get to you. Thus, the conversation about getting a second ambulance etc.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mcselva

I am writing this post in hopes that people will help lobby for the cause of another ambulance in Negril. I have been traveling to Negril for the past 20 years and I am very much in love with the island of Jamaica. This past trip, however, was a nightmare. I am the daughter of the woman who suffered a heart attack on the Negril Beach Club property. The lack of response by any medical professionals is heartbreaking to me. Not just because of the loss of my mother, but because the Jamaican people deserve better too. There were over 15 people who called the ambulance, both locals and tourists. No response service EVER showed up. The attempts by myself, my fiancé and the guests proved insufficient. The police didn't even show up until close to an hour after she had passed, and then there was a several hour wait for a coroner as her body lie on a pool chair in the parking lot. This is unacceptable. EVERYBODY deserves a chance and I would like to see better for Jamaica and my Jamaican friends who are family to me. If anyone is willing to help me with this cause, I would be forever grateful. Things like this should not happen, and I plan to make it a mission that nobody else has to go through what we did and are still going through.

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I'm so sorry for your loss. I heard about this unfortunate and awful incident soon after from some of my friends who were there helping. I know that your family remains in prayers of many. I commend you for your strength and your ability to want to help others so that other incidents like this do not reoccur. You could have come here hating Jamaica but through your hurt you recognize that along with tourists, the Jamaican people deserve better also. I hope the memories you have of your mom bring you comfort and joy during this difficult time.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bnewb

Jaherring...how did you miss that Mcselva said it may have been on another call?
You can call as often as you want, but if it's out on another call, it can't get to you. Thus, the conversation about getting a second ambulance etc.

---

Exactly, but I would still like to know why after even an hour the one ambulance didn't show up. Even with Sav being half an hour away with speed limits, after an hour of CPR, the ambulance should have been there. It (allegedly) would not have changed anything (although, who knows!!!!!!), but it's the principal.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mcselva

Exactly, but I would still like to know why after even an hour the one ambulance didn't show up. Even with Sav being half an hour away with speed limits, after an hour of CPR, the ambulance should have been there. It (allegedly) would not have changed anything (although, who knows!!!!!!), but it's the principal.

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There could have been 10 ambulances but if the infrastructure is not in place where the vehicles are regularly maintained then it just remains parked in a garage where there will be more victims. There is no excuse that an ambulance did not arrive in a timely fashion because at the very least it could have given you some hope that trained EMT's were working to save your mother.

Mcselva,

This is a hard post to make since I cannot pretend to imagine the pain you are going through having your Mom pass here in Negril. But living daily here for the last 20 years, I have had to deal with friends passing away while they were here and how the system in Jamaica operates. It is never easy to have to handle a situation like that. I know you are hurting.

The ambulance in Negril at the Fire Station services Negril and also serves the surrounding areas. That means that the ambulance also handles the far back roads, the far West End and even the Orange Bay area. It goes where ever it is needed.

The one hour time period is a terrible amount of time to have to wait and minutes seem like hours during those moments - but the typical ambulance run can take hours to handle from beginning to end. When your Mother had passed, the situation no longer was that of a medical emergency but that of the police and Medical Examiner that Hille141 so expertly detailed. The doctor who showed up may have been the one that contacted the police and the Medical Examiner's office.

While the ambulance in Negril has already saved the lives of mnay people in the Negril area, even assisting at least two of the boardies here on the Negril Message Boad, this why I am so very pleased that you posted here and talked with Winthrope Wellington! You have brought light to not only the need of another ambulance but have also pointed out the importance of Negril Interational Hospital project which would be the improved infrastructure that Jamerican71 just posted about. I will again post the NIH's Mission, Goals and links to be able to donate to this so needed cause.

"Since we live here and are all to familiar with this situation having to deal with it on a daily basis, you can be certain that you are not alone in wanting to see better for Jamaica. To that end, Winston Wellington, the owner of Travellers Beach Resort, who was instrumental in obtaining the ambulance for Negril has started the Negril International Hospital (NIH) project. Here is some information gleaned from their website:


MISSION
Our mission is to provide thoughtful, professional and complete medical treatments which specialize in emergency care, and surgical procedures. This will aid both the Jamaican nationals, and the over one million tourists that visit Negril each year. We also strive to provide a 24 hour emergency based hospital facility that will enable patients to receive specialized and urgent health care at all hours of the day. Furthermore, we will have a professional, compassionate staff that will cater to all patients’ needs, providing comprehensive medical treatments for emergency and surgical care.


GOALS
The Hospital is designed to become a recognized leader in its specialized field; exceling in emergency, clinical, and surgical services. The facility will feature over 100 acres of clinical space which will include a state of the art emergency room, a cardiology lab, and a radiology department. In addition to several operating rooms. Moreover, the hospital will feature 100 beds for in-patient care. Currently, there are no private hospitals in Negril to fully service both the inhabitants of Negril and the one million tourists that travel there annually, and the Negril International Hospital aims to fill this void.


http://www.negrilhospital.org/


There are links on the site to donate directly to this ambitious cause, which would vastly improve the medical services available in and around Negril. Donating to this worthy cause would probably be the best way to bring about the much needed services for visitors and locals alike. The first phase is projected to be opening in 2015. The Noel Holmes Hospital in Lucea was just given 18 new beds by the NIH project in January, and the Sav La Mar Hospital had previously received 25 new beds. Here was the article in the Gleaner from February 16th:


http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...western92.html


The NIH contact information and Board of Governors and Advisory Board are listed below:


CONTACT


Negril International Hospital
200-09 Hollis Avenue :: Queens New York 11412
Voice: 718-753-9920 :: Fax: 718-230-7831


Travellers Beach Resort,
Norman Manley Blvd
Negril Westmoreland
Jamaica West Indies
Tel: 876-957-9308
Email: bill@negrilhospital.org


BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Winston Wellington, NIH Chairman
Bill Tingling, CEO
Wayne De-Leon CFO, Treasurer
Dr. Rudolph Willis, Secretary
Carl Reid, Paramedic
Dr. David Garwood, MD
Dennis Hawthorne
Elaine Allen Bradley RN, BSC
Patrick Fletcher
Barry Westcarr
Dr. Eric Shoenfeld, MD
Dr. Richard Constable, MD
Winthrope Wellington, B.S., M.B.A.
Dr. Robert Clarke, MD
Angela Sutherland


ADVISORY BOARD
Dr. Robert Clarke, MD
Dr. Winston Davidson, MD
Christine Chadwick
Dr. Winston Price, MD
Dr. Una Clarke
Edward Stephenson
Ken Cooney
John Brown
Karl & Fay Rodney
Telieth Drummond
Winfield Wellington, B.S.
Wingate Wellington, B.S., CPA
Keith Dwaynie
Sandy Vasceannie
Joyce Perry
Fitzroy Hall"