The Moruca sub-region of Barima-Waini is next in line to benefit from a river ambulance, according to the Department of Public Information (DPI).
This assurance, it said, was given by Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence who recently visited some villages in the sub-region.
Upon meeting with residents and public health staff of the Kumaka District Hospital (KDH), the minister heard of the difficulties to travel to access health facilities on the coast for emergency services.
It was noted, DPI said, that residents of Moruca are referred to the Suddie Regional Hospital since it is easier and cheaper to travel there instead of the Mabaruma Regional Hospital which is more time-consuming.
Lawrence said before procuring the ambulance, specifications have to be taken into consideration.
“For us to move a patient from here (Kumaka) to Pomeroon, we don’t need just a boat, we need an ambulance that can manoeuvre through the waters… when I was coming in, I saw the challenges that might be encountered when taking an accident patient to Charity [wharf].”
Following inquiries from the staff of the KDH, the minister clarified that there was a vessel being considered for the sub-region but the procurement and standards department at the Health Ministry found that it would not have been suitable for the waterways heading in and out of the Moruca River from the Atlantic Ocean connect to the Pomeroon.
Manager of the ministry’s recently established procurement unit, Seewchan said: “The procurement of the ambulance is now at NPTAB [National Tender and Procurement Administration] at Ministry of Finance and hopefully in the next few months you will have an ambulance here.”
