By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas’ emergency medical system faces deeper challenges than a shortage of ambulances, said Dr Kenville Lockhart, Vice President of the Bahamas Doctors Union, who cautioned that operational readiness involves more than simply acquiring vehicles.

His comment came after former Health Minister Dr Duane Sands, the chairman of the Free National Movement, raised concerns about the number of ambulances on New Providence.

Dr Lockhart, speaking in his personal capacity and not on behalf of the union, told The Tribune that emergency response readiness requires comprehensive planning, trained personnel, and infrastructure, not just ambulances.

“It’s a more nuanced matter,” he said. “And it’s not even just to hire anybody off the road. You would have to purchase the vehicles, you would have to train the staff.”

Dr Sands, in a statement on May 11, described the reported number of ambulances on New Providence as a “national disgrace.”

“This is not a drill, not an exaggeration,” he said. “Right now, nearly 300,000 people in the capital are depending on just two working ambulances.”

He questioned the government’s readiness to respond to large-scale emergencies, such as major fires or accidents, and urged an immediate audit of the EMS fleet and emergency funding to address the situation.

Dr Lockhart noted that junior doctors rarely interact directly with ambulance services unless assigned to Accident and Emergency.

He raised concerns about using ambulances for non-emergency cases due to economic hardship, such as dropping people home after a hospital visit.

Meanwhile, the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) did not offer specific figures yesterday on functional ambulances but promised forthcoming details.

“The PHA acknowledges the public’s concern and recognises the importance of transparency regarding the state of our emergency medical services,” the Authority said. “To that end, the PHA is in the process of developing a detailed and thoughtful communication that will address these matters more thoroughly. Once finalised, this information will be shared with the public and the media.”