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Three months later… $16M water ambulance not functioning
A $31M water ambulance commissioned back in August remains down.
Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence officially commissioning the water ambulance in August.
Councillor, Zamal Hussain
According to Zamal Hussain, Chairman of Regional Health Committee, Region Six, an engine control module is being blamed.
“The question is, was there any corruption in this transaction? Why (does) a new water ambulance have a defective computer box? This transaction stinks…” Hussain asserted.
He explained that in August 2019, Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, commissioned a water ambulance costing $31.4 M to be used in Baracara village, located 45 miles up the Canje Creek.
Describing the water ambulance as another “white elephant”, the councillor disclosed that at the October 2019, regional statutory meeting the Regional Health Director, Jevaughn Stephens, confirmed that water ambulance was indeed facing problems since an engine control module (computer box) is needed for the engine. It was promised that the repairs would take a week. “Unfortunately after three months, the people of Baracara are still awaiting the services of the water ambulance…this confirmed the APNU/AFC government’s incompetence mismanagement and their inability to spend taxpayers monies efficiently.”
In August, a government statement said that the water ambulance had been commissioned and dedicated to the village of Baracara, East Canje. Presented as a gift from the Ministry of Public Health to the community, the water ambulance was procured to “ensure that emergency cases are transported from the village”.
It was said then that the vessel would be staffed by a ‘boat hand’ and captain who have been employed from the village.
The water ambulance would have been equipped with the necessary emergency equipment to transport two patients at a time.
Community Health Worker, Kevon Joseph, attached to the Baracara Health Centre, had explained that the ambulance would make a significant difference in how emergency cases are attended.
He said that previously, it was costly for persons to transport their emergency cases.
“[Sometimes] late at night, we would have to take out trauma patients, persons with accelerated heart rates, and persons with lacerations. We sometimes encounter a lot of difficulty in the river because of the grass in the river, and that causes blockages.“I am overcome and excited because it will be easier for persons to access better health care. Persons will be able to go out there [to New Amsterdam] faster,” Joseph said.
Officials from the Ministry of Public Health including Minister Volda Lawrence and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Colette Adams, were present for the commissioning.
Minister Lawrence had said on the occasion that the public health sector had been able to cross another significant milestone and it was expected that the residents of Baracara and those living along the Canje River would benefit from the intervention by the government. She added that the ministry continued to work to improve the health sector.
“The Coalition Government is concerned with the development of our people so in the health sector we want to ensure that we not just talking and writing on paper about accessibility, availability and all these other measures for you to be able to access health services. We want to ensure that action is taken,” Minister Lawrence had declared.
A total of four ambulances were put into operation in various parts of the country.
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