NERHA Reports Improved Ambulance Coverage in Region

Regional Director of the North East Regional Health Authority (NERHA), Fabia Lamm, says the region has made significant progress in improving ambulance coverage, even as work continues to enhance how the service is managed and deployed.

Speaking to journalists following the handover of four ambulances at the NERHA offices in Ocho Rios, St. Ann, on January 13, Ms. Lamm said the current situation represents a major improvement compared to previous years.

She explained that this progress has come through a deliberate strategy that balances expansion with renewal.

“We have to take into consideration that while we are adding to the fleet, we’re also replacing vehicles,” Ms. Lamm said, noting that this approach ensures that “the age of the fleet is not too old that they become a burden in terms of maintenance”.

She noted that overall, the region now has a strong level of service coverage, acknowledging, however, that demand can sometimes outstrip available resources.

Ms. Lamm pointed out that the Authority is now focused on improving how the fleet is used.

“We are looking now at strategic management practices in how they are properly deployed and how they are utilised,” she continued, pointing to better planning and coordination as key to ensuring ambulances are available where and when they are most needed.

Ms. Lamm said that no health system can ever reach a point of perfect coverage. “There will always be gaps. We will never have the perfect number of ambulances,” she added.

She noted, however, that the central aim is to ensure timely service for patients across the region.

“The intent is to ensure that when a patient needs a service, it is available in the shortest possible time,” Ms. Lamm said.

The new ambulances will be assigned to the St. Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital and the St. Ann Public Health Department, in St. Ann; the Port Maria Hospital in St. Mary, and the Port Antonio Hospital in Portland.

With the addition of the four new ambulances, the region’s ambulance fleet now totals 24 vehicles.