Health

Critical Condition: Dept. Of Health At Risk Of Not Being Able To Respond To 911 Emergency Calls

ST. THOMAS -- The Virgin Islands Department of Health is in need of more funding than what has been allocated in the past to perform critical functions that Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Davis says are pressing and need to be addressed straightaway. Above, ambulances stationed at the Juan F. Luis Hospital. Dr. Davis listed six "urgent" needs as part of D.O.H.'s nearly $52.8 million fiscal year 2017 budget hearing; the first and most crucial being the need to purchase new ambulances for D.O.H.'s emergency medical services. "The Department of Health is currently at risk of not being able to respond to 911 emergency calls for Virgin Islanders in need of urgent care. We are down to 1-2 functioning ambulances on each island on any given day. Fifteen of the vehicles in our ambulance fleet are 5- 17 years old. Purchasing new ambulances takes 6 months or longer," Dr. Davis said. Number two on the most urgent list was funding to support the costs for behavioral health patients who ...