Dear Editor,

I’ve been reading and listening to Patria-Kaye Aarons’ genuine concerns about our emergency ambulance system in Jamaica. Sunday of this week I heard on BBC Radio that the French Government is making steps to have just one public emergency number. France has 11 numbers for emergency situations.

The main reason for them wanting to have one emergency number is because of the public outrage over the death of 22-year-old Naomi Musenga in December of last year.The distress call lasted for three minutes. Here’s the transcript of that distress call published on CNN Edition on May 11 , 2 018:

Operator: Yes, hello?

Musenga: Hello… Help me, Ma’am.

Operator: Yes, what’s going on?

Musenga: Help me.

Operator: Well, if you do not tell me what’s going on, I will hang up.

The woman can’t fully articulate her condition and says she’s in a lot of pain. In response, the operator tells her to call a doctor.

Musenga: I’m gonna die.

Operator: Yes… you will die, certainly, one day, like everyone else. Call the SOS doctors. [The operator gives her the number to SOS Médecins, France’s medical emergency service that sends doctors directly to a house.]

Musenga: Please, help me, Ma’am.

Operator: I can’t help you, I don’t [know what’s wrong with you].

Musenga: I have a lot of pain, I have very bad pain.

Operator: And where?

Musenga: My stomach hurts a lot… and I feel terrible everywhere.

Operator: Yes, well, you call SOS doctors. [The operator gives her the number again.)

According to a BBC article published on May 14, 2018, entitled ‘Naomi Musenga death: Emergency operator blames pressure after mocking caller’.

“A spokesman for the French Government said authorities were looking at speeding up promised moves towards a single emergency number, after Ms Musenga called the wrong one when seeking help.

“France has separate numbers for police, ambulance, and the fire brigade, along with the European Union emergency number 112.

“Spokesman Benjamin Griveaux conceded that French people were more familiar with the American number 911 than their own array of numbers.”

I hope the Governm ent of Jamaica has a look at this situation . The French outcry is not only about the distasteful action of the operator, but the nonesense of having so many numbers for specific emergencies. An adult, much less a child, can’t remember so many numbers in an emergency.

Teddylee Gray

Ocho Rios, St Ann

teddylee.gray@gmail.com