Fuad assures ambulance service for Carnival

Carnival revellers in need of medical attention during Carnival can rest assured that ambulances will stop to render assistance. Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan, however, says it will only be in cases with a certain level of urgency and the onus will be on ambulance personnel to assist. “We wouldn’t stop to pick up a masquerader because your foot hurting you from jumping up too long...I do not expect that they will do that,” Khan said on Friday, at the sod-turning ceremony for construction of a US$4 million (TT$25 million) medical laboratory at the Couva Health Facility. On Thursday, Khan issued a directive that no ambulance should leave a patient in distress. He did so following the death of 21-month-old Akeil Simon.

The child’s mother had stopped an ambulance at the side of the road when the car she was travelling broke down on the way to the hospital. The ambulance personnel refused to assist her. Khan said in the case of Carnival medical emergencies, ambulances will stop.
“If they (masqueraders) do stop (an ambulance) and ambulance has somebody in it, the ambulance can’t stop,” he said. “If the ambulance does not have anybody and they need urgent treatment I think now with what has occurred, the onus is on the ambulance personnel.” Khan said a national policy was being formulated on how to deal with such incidents. At present, the national ambulance service has 28 ambulances.

The medical laboratory at the Couva Health Facility is being fully funded by PCS Nitrogen. The company will be furnishing the laboratory with equipment, while the Ministry of Health will provide the staff to operate the facility. Khan commended PCs Nitrogen for its corporate responsibility in building the laboratory. He said it would assist in relieving some of the burden on the San Fernando General Hospital lab. He said the new facility will reduce the wait time for test results and speed up diagnosis and treatment of patients. Khan invited other private companies to partner with Government in the health sector.

PCS Nitrogen’s managing director Ian Welch said the project was part of the company’s commitment to national development. He said the lab would conduct and provide blood testing and results in complete blood count, blood glucose, renal function and liver function.