Police tackle medical emergency in North Side
(CNS): Two police officers who were the first on the scene at a medical emergency in North Side may have save a man’s life after using medical skills acquired through RCIPS training. At around 10:00am on Monday, Police Constables Zachary McLaughlin and Carlyle Nation were the first to arrive at a house in North Side where a 41-year-old man had been found unconscious in his bathroom by the elderly couple living with him. When the officers arrived the man was unresponsive and not breathing, so they began (CPR) until Emergency Medical Services arrived some twenty minutes later.
The man still had no pulse but the officers continued CPR while the medical personnel administered epinephrine and put the man into an ambulance, where the man’s pulse returned. The patient was taken to the government hospital in George Town, where he is now in the ICU but in stable condition.
PC McLaughlin and PC Nation, who have been with the police for four years and 19 years respectively, both received the CPR training as part of the police commissioner’s goal to see the majority of police offices capable of saving lives as well as upholding crime. Speaking on Cayman27 recently, David Baines said that all staff have been equipped with trauma kits so when they arrive in particular at scenes where victims have been shot or stabbed, they have a chance to keep them alive until the professional paramedics arrived.
The trauma kits were donated to the RCIPS by the UK.
Category: Health, Local News, Medical Health, Police
The subject of emergency response time is a hot topic in the Cayman Islands right now. Late last month, an ambulance responding to a car accident involving the wife of the local Politician arrived after the 8 minute time standard set by the Health Services Authority for that type of situation. The accident had Code Three status, which requires less than a 8 minute response. The ambulance arrived 14 minutes after the call went out. The Politician’s wife had minor injuries, and an ambulance took her to the hospital for treatment.
The Hospital blames the response time on staff shortages. The Politician has been demanding that the EMS chief be fired. The Premier has asked that all the parties work together while he reviews the issue. He has set a deadline of September 14 to make a decision about what to do about the complaints.
When a call is placed to 911, it should be assumed that there’s an emergency. Help should be sent as quickly as possible. If there is a delay, that can mean the difference between life and death in a worst-case scenario. In order to sue for a delay in treatment, normally you must prove negligence. Negligence occurs when a party who has a duty of care towards you fails in that duty, and you are harmed as a result.
If an ambulance takes an unusually long time after a call goes out, and you or a loved one is injured as a result, you may have several parties who you can sue. The 911 service is typically owned by the CI government. The ambulance service and the hospital may also have a slow response time after a patient arrives. If a patient is harmed because of a slow response to a call for an ambulance, the patient may sue the CI government, the ambulance service, the individual EMT (if the EMT was negligent), the hospital, or all of the above.
However, in many cases it can be difficult to sue the government. Government officials and entities often have special immunity rules that apply that can make it difficult to sue the government or governmental employees. In many cases, it is best to sue all potential parties, especially if it’s unclear where the liability lies. There could be a lot of potential reasons the ambulance was delayed, which can be uncovered over the course of a lawsuit.
Some common reasons a person may sue an emergency responder or the government include a delay in treatment, negligent medical care, failure to properly stock equipment, and negligent hiring or training. In each of these cases, the injured party can most likely prove that one of the parties, or more than one party, was negligent in responding to the emergency call.
If you believe that you were the victim of malpractice in your emergency situation, you should hire an attorney to provide you with a consultation on your case. Such cases can be more complicated than others, because of all the potential defendants involved. An attorney can help you sort out the potential liability of each party involved.You may be entitled to damages for your medical expenses (both past and future), pain and suffering, lost wages, and more.
Two Pennies Worth
Ok two pennies………it is ironic that it is a politician who is the driving force to place blame on the EMS system, when in fact it is the very government that he provides leadership for that has placed the EMS service in the state and circumstance its in.
Three trucks on an island this size providing both emergency care and transports, older vehicles with inherent mechanical issues, and an EMS manager doing his job as well as the the job of a secretary, billing/statistics officer, CQI/QA officer and two deputy chiefs. (None of which exist) is a good place to start.
It is not the “EMS Cheifs” fault. These issues are not new or difficult to solve. The demand for both emergent and non-emergent care has grown with the island however, the EMS system is expected to operate as if the islands demographic were the same as it were twenty years ago. You referred in your comment the title of “EMS Cheif” if I am correct his title is manager. He is indeed answering to the Chiefs.
As far as 8 minute response times. It does not take a rocket scientist to calculate you cannot get From GT to EE or most of the other districts in that time frame. They are an ambulance not a rocket ship. Yes there are stations in outer districts, but it only takes one transport or emergency to take a district ambulance to GT or Health City hence, creating delayed and prolonged response times.
In regards to negligence. How can an EMS professional be held negligent for a circumstance they have no control over. Once committed to a patient you are committed despite the emergency, till it is handed over to the hospital or released by refusal. Let’s not forget to mention that an ambulance must be cleaned and restocked after each call. The acuity of the emergency also weighs heavy on how long it takes to turn over and can lead to increased response times. Rushing these processes will lead to negligence with improper patient hand-overs and missing or improperly decontaminated equipment.
It is the individuals in politics who set the budgets and unrealistic benchmarks who should be taking responsibility for their negligent approach in understanding the importance of providing this island with emergency care and non emergency care and fix the problem!
EMS professionals are NOT ambulance drivers! They receive extensive didactic and hands on training, pass competency exams and are licenced to provide care dependent on their level of certification, which includes both basic, mid level and advanced life support measures. They are often the first point of contact to the emergency chain of care as well as the last, hence the use of community paramedics in other parts of the world.
If the government officials you speak of want understanding of how EMS systems around the globe function. That’s a simple task! All of the data and research they need to operate a safe, effective, efficient EMS model already exits. This islands EMS providers are doing their best within its confined restraints. However, this islands officials with all its resources should be ashamed of themselves for placing the lives of it citizens and visitors to happenstance.
Pointing fingers at one individual and placing the blame on staffing is ludicrous. It is ultimately the governments ethical responsibility to provide the organizations and its team members with the proper tools and resources to get the job done.
Money will be a factor. But at the end of the day Mr. Premier, Politicians, Citizens and Visitors of Cayman what is your life and the life of your friends and families worth?
I’m glad that our police officers are committed to upholding crime….wait, what?
Why don’t we still have a dedicated EMS and RCIP presence in the eastern districts? They could all be located at the Frank Sound fire station.
As a polite FYI, the RCIPS do have a substation in NS and in EE. EMS for the eastern districts is stationed out of the NS Fire station.
Kadake you are right, we have substations in both NS and EE………such a pity there are no policemen manning them.
Congrats to the two who saved a life, well done.
EMS is constantly transporting persons back and forth from dr. Appointments and are thus Unavailable for Emergencies. Go RCIP!
There is a dedicated EMS in North Side…
Breaking news, two people in the Cayman Islands do their job, properly! Whatever next?
TOTALLY agree with you.
Well done R.C.I.P. & Bodden Town officers. What price a life saved?
Well as one who is often critical of RCIPS I would like to be quick to offer praise when it is deserved. Good move by Baines to get his officers trained for CPR and good work by these two police officers who should be commended for this.