The lack of fuel has caused operations of the National Emergency Medical Services (NEMS) to be halted in many districts across the country, a paramedic who is familiar with the operations told Premier News on Friday.
The ambulance attendant who spoke on anonymity said that most of the ambulances have been out of service for over two weeks now even though they continue to receive calls for referral of critical cases.
He said that the emergency medical services in Kono district is operational due to the intervention of a non-governmental organization which has undertaken to provide fuel for the ambulances.
He said that apart from fuel there is delay in payment of their salaries of paramedics even though they are working in remote communities. He said they have not been paid for the past two months.
He said that the National Emergency Medical Services has been very instrumental in reducing infant and maternal mortality rates in the county. He said that the interruption of the emergency medical services will lead to the surge in infant and maternal deaths.
It is not clear why the NEMS agency was unable to procure fuel for the ambulances. Officials at NEMS agency declined to speak to Premier News after several visits to the head office along Spur Road in Freetown to verify the information.
A total of 84 ambulances are actively used, with additional back-up of 16 ambulances (1 per district) attached to district hospitals, according to data from the Ministry of Health and Sanitation.
The data shows that 90% of the transported patients were successfully transported to a hospital. “Only 0.1% of patients died in the ambulance, while 2% died before the ambulance arrived,” the data indicates.
By George M.O Williams