ST THOMAS, Jamaica — A severe deficit in ambulance availability at Princess Margaret Hospital in Morant Bay is creating dire circumstances for patients, according to local Member of Parliament Rose Shaw. The St Thomas Eastern representative issued a stark warning on Thursday, highlighting that the absence of reliable medical transport services is exposing vulnerable residents to potentially fatal outcomes.
Shaw revealed that despite raising this critical issue before Parliament’s Standing Finance Committee twenty days prior, no substantive action has been taken by Health Minister Christopher Tufton’s office. The parliamentary member emphasized that patients are encountering significant obstacles in securing transportation for essential medical tests and emergency treatments, creating dangerous gaps in healthcare accessibility.
“The current state of affairs is completely unacceptable,” Shaw stated. “We are rapidly approaching a crisis threshold where preventable fatalities may occur if immediate intervention is not implemented. The citizens of St Thomas are entitled to far better healthcare provisions than they are currently receiving.”
The MP’s statement included an urgent appeal to Minister Tufton, demanding emergency measures to reinstate fully functional ambulance services at the healthcare facility. Shaw emphasized that bureaucratic processes cannot substitute for tangible solutions, asserting that “ambulances cannot operate on good intentions alone.”
With growing concern over the ministry’s delayed response, Shaw concluded that there remains “no justification for additional postponement” and insisted that “the Ministry of Health must take immediate, concrete action to resolve this life-threatening situation.”