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Health Ministry did its part to facilitate medivac of Mabaruma girl – Minister Ramsaran
A total of 197 medical evacuations were facilitated by the Ministry of Health during the past year, with each costing some $250,000.
This disclosure was made by top health officials on Saturday as efforts were made to explain to media operatives the process of medical evacuations, which according to Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran, are usually facilitated through a well thought-out and executed plan.
Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran
The detailed explanation was forthcoming as part of an attempt to debunk allegations that enough was not done on the part of the Health Ministry to save the life of 15 year-old Bibi Zaleena Shadeek.
Shadeek, a resident of Mabaruma and student of the Mabaruma Secondary School, had her neck slit and stomach slashed around 19:30 hours Friday by a reportedly spurned boyfriend who subsequently committed suicide.
Commenting on his Ministry’s efforts to save the young girl, Minister Ramsaran said that not only were tireless efforts made to streamline a plane to facilitate a medivac, but health officials were able to keep the badly wounded girl alive until the following day of the incident.
She died aboard the plane that was rushing her to the city for further medical attention some time after 05:30 hours Saturday.
There are reports that the dead girl’s relatives lauded the efforts of the doctor, nurses and medex who did their best before she succumbed. Reports are that the doctor and other staffers at the Mabaruma Hospital wept when news spread that the girl had died.
However, there have been deferring reports as to why an aircraft was not readily available to facilitate a medical evacuation.
Minister Ramsaran insisted that on Saturday while the aircraft companies know that they can be called upon at anytime the delay in the recent medical evacuation was in fact due to the timing of the incident since there was only one pilot on hand to facilitate a flight. Two Instrument Rated pilots have to be on any plane that is performing medivac operations at night, this newspaper was informed.
“This one failed because I understand you have to have two pilots at nights…night is the issue….” the Minister said.
Insisting that the Ministry did its part, Dr Ramsaran said, “We usually call airlines from right across the board…anybody including the military. My understanding is that the military had a man on standby and there was some back and forth but as far as I know the system worked throughout, including the administrative aspect plus the clinical aspect of that patient being managed for a long distance flight…
“She was writing to communicate although she couldn’t speak…”
Minister Ramsaran said that he is satisfied that 99.9 per cent of medical evacuations are undertaken in accordance with a prescribed protocol. “Our protocol has worked well we don’t produce pilots; the only other suggestion that is being made is that the Ministry of Health buy airplanes and start its own service with maintenance crew of everything …but that is a no go…”
According to the Minister the medical operatives in the far-flung areas that require medivacs have been a part of such undertakings for many years and they know how to evaluate patients.
He explained that the process entails a doctor, medex or community health worker, first making an evaluation of a patient before making a mercy call utilising radio sets that are available at most health posts.
In the case that a radio set is not at a health post or is inoperable, health officials can in fact use those at police stations or at the Regional Democratic Council offices. “Once that call comes out permission is given for a plane to facilitate a medivac…The aircraft companies know that they can be called upon and they know the persons who are actualising the medivac too…”
Among the persons ascribed to perform such duties are, the Chief Medex, the Regional Health Services Head, the Chief Medical Officer or the Coordinator of the Indigenous Peoples.
“They are already known to the dispatchers and we have had no problems with this arrangement,” the Minister insisted.
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