Ambulance cutbacks put lives at risk, says Opposition
Lives are being put at risk because of cuts to some ambulance services, the Opposition has warned in the wake of two road deaths that occurred inside 24 hours.
Michael Dunkley, the One Bermuda Alliance’s Shadow Minister of Health, said that the Government needed to change its policy urgently and provide effective emergency service cover across the island.
The Ministry of National Security countered his statement, denying that there had been any impact on emergency response as a result of changes to the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service.
Mr Dunkley’s comments came after The Royal Gazette broke the news in March that the focus of fire service resources being switched to LF Wade International Airport meant reduced coverage in the rest of the island.
Mr Dunkley emphasised that he could not directly link the drop in ambulance services with the two deaths that occurred at 3.37am and 6.15pm on Tuesday, but that his fears of lives being put in danger had materialised.
Asked if he thought that there was a connection between the two deaths and reduced ambulance availability, Mr Dunkley told The Royal Gazette: “It is hard to ascertain for each specific incident, but we warned in March that this could be the case, and we have to consider now that this is the case in certain instances.”
Mr Dunkley added: “Changes to the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service brought in on April 1 mean that during the daytime — 8am to 4pm — ambulances can be dispatched from the hospital, and out of Lamb-Foggo [Urgent Care Centre] and at the Port Royal station. They come from three different places.
“But, because of financial restrictions, from 4pm to 8am ambulances are only dispatched from King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.
“This is putting public safety at risk. It is endangering people’s lives.
“I have received a lot of concerns from professionals in the emergency services and people across the community that this is now indeed the case.
“Sources have told me that at a road accident that proved fatal this week, a man was brought to Port Royal, but it took 15 minutes for an ambulance to reach him from King Edward VII.
“I have also been told that it took 20 minutes for an ambulance to come from the hospital to the East End to deal with a road traffic accident when Lamb-Foggo was only a matter of yards away.
“The Government must reinstate the ambulance service to full coverage as a matter of urgency.”
The ministry said last night that the fire service’s extra focus on Bermuda’s airport had “not in any way” compromised its emergency response for the rest of the island.
"The revised structure of the BFRS has been implemented to enhance efficiency and improve emergency services across Bermuda as a whole.
"There has been no reduction in the BFRS's emergency-response capabilities to any area on the island.
"Our sympathies go out to the families of the victims of the recent road traffic incidents. The Government places the highest priority on emergency response and is dedicated to the safety and wellbeing of all residents and visitors to Bermuda.
"The BFRS mobilises within two minutes of receiving any emergency call, ensuring the quickest possible response to incidents.
"Furthermore, the BFRS aims to arrive at any location on the Island within 15 minutes, demonstrating our dedication to prompt assistance in critical situations.
"The Government continuously invests in the training, equipment and resources necessary to maintain a robust emergency-response system.
“In discussion with the BFRS, it was confirmed that response times were well within the expected time frames for these two incidents. In fact, the BFRS EMTs were on site at the St David’s collision in less than two minutes.
“It would be reckless and unsubstantiated for anyone to assert, without facts, that response times to road collisions are not optimal.”
Mr Dunkley, a former premier whose shadow portfolios include national security, added: “Doctors know that the best outcome for patients is having a fast response time in getting them to the hospital.
“Only so much can be done at the scene. They need to get to the hospital as fast as possible.
“Patient outcomes are now being negatively impacted due to the delayed response times due to the Government’s curtailment of the ambulance services.
“The OBA made sure there was ambulance cover across the island from east to west; now this Government is putting public safety in jeopardy.
“The difference in response times across the island is simply unacceptable.
“The BFRS gets on scene quickly, then responders have to wait for an ambulance — and this is a direct result of the Progressive Labour Party’s change in policy.”
After the ambulance changes were revealed, a spokeswoman for the Bermuda Hospitals Board said: “The Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service is providing a first-responder service for east and west from Port Royal and Clearwater during the day and night, but will not be able to assist with transports back to the hospital.
“We estimate this change will increase the number of calls BHB responds to by about 20 to 25 per cent.”
The Bermuda Fire Service Association warned that switching resources to the airport could put lives at risk and lead to the closure of two fire stations.
The BFRS was asked for comment by The Royal Gazette.
After the two fatalities on the same day, Michael Weeks, the Minister of National Security, whose department is also responsible for the BFRS, said that he was “deeply concerned” at the frequency of injuries and deaths on Bermuda’s roads.
Tuesday’s fatal crashes occurred on Malabar Road at the junction with Heydon Road, in Sandys, and at the junction of Southside Road and Stocks Road, in St David’s.
Michael Spence-Durrant, 17, was named yesterday as the victim of the Sandys crash.
The incidents have brought the tally of road deaths to ten so far this year.
In 2022, there were 11 road fatalities, six of which were in the first six months, and there were 17 in 2021.
Mr Dunkley also said that there has been a lack of enforcement by the police road traffic unit as it is engaged “full time on investigations of road-traffic accidents.”
Anyone with information or who may have witnessed the crash at Southside should call the Roads Policing Unit on 247-1788 or use the main police number, 295-0011.
Anyone with information on the West End crash — particularly those present at or about the time of the crash, or who may have rendered assistance — is asked to contact the Roads Policing Unit.
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