Another ambulance needed in Negril

[Rob]

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.

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.

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"

[Maryann]

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

[rompcherry]

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

[hille141]

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.

[Kathy]

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.

[rootsie]

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

[Rob]

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!

[booger]

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.

[CarrieBean]

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?

[DConkle]

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!!