By Staff/September 9, 2021
Ferryland MHA Loyola O’Driscoll says a recent moose vehicle accident near Trepassey highlights his constituents’ concerns about ambulance coverage throughout his district.
Last week, a family struck a moose on the barrens east of Trepassey. While injuries were not serious, cell coverage made it difficult to connect with emergency dispatchers. The family were hesitant to take an ambulance to the hospital, out of fear one would not be available to respond to the call.
“I’m thankful this situation did not end in tragedy, but the family found themselves debating whether to take the ambulance to St. John’s out of fear of taking an ambulance off the road for someone else who needed it,” said the PC member. “For anyone in our province to think twice about whether to use an ambulance service is shocking and represents a failure of our healthcare system. In the St. John’s region, ‘red alerts’ where no ambulances are immediately (available) are the norm – with another reported by NAPE on Friday. Ambulances are being called in from rural centres to serve the city. It’s not sustainable and it’s putting lives at risk.”
O’Driscoll noted Health Minister John Haggie recently decided to remove an ambulance from the Trepassey area, leaving the area with just a single ambulance available to respond to calls. O’Driscoll said he is worried the situation will go from bad to worse as a result.
“Minister Haggie informed me of this decision a few months ago and now has stopped responding to my calls on behalf of the hundreds of concerned residents in the area,” said O’Driscoll. “There is a large senior population in that part of the Ferryland district, so we know ambulance calls will be more likely. The healthcare system in our province – especially rural areas – is being pushed to its limits. Haggie’s solution in this case is to make less ambulances available. It’s backwards decision making that risks more lives than it saves. I call on the minister to address this situation and restore ambulance services in Trepassey.”
