The operator of Sangster International Airport (SIA), MBJ Limited, says an ongoing review of its emergency response protocol, triggered by the September 4 death of outgoing passenger Leroy Smith, may lead to changes. At the same time, it has doubled down on its assertion that all protocols were followed after the 71-year-old Jamaican collapsed in the departure area.

“We are committed to continuous improvement in all aspects of passenger safety and care. As such, we conduct a thorough review following each instance of emergency response. The results of this ongoing review will inform any necessary amendments to further enhance our emergency preparedness and response, ensuring that we meet or exceed local regulatory requirements and international standards as well as uphold our highest priority — the safety, health, and well-being of all who pass through our airport,” MBJ Ltd said in a statement on Tuesday.

In a now-viral video, a woman who said she saw Smith take his last breath estimated that it took 20 to 30 minutes for him to receive medical care. She partially attributed the delay to insistence by a man, who she assumed to be an airport employee because of the vest he wore, that Smith’s relatives agree to pay a US$400 fee before an ambulance was dispatched.

In its statement, MBJ Ltd said its review of CCTV footage showed that within one minute of the airport’s emergency response being activated at 11:12 am the private facility that provides medical service to SIA was notified and a nurse was on spot minutes later.

“The Hospiten duty nurse indicated they were en route to the scene. Contrary to media reports, the Hospiten duty nurse arrived at the scene six minutes after being contacted to attend to the passenger,” said MBJ Ltd.

It said from 11:15 am to 11:28 am the airport’s operations centre attempted to get an ambulance to the airport.

“They contacted the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) arm of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) and subsequently the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH), both of which proved unsuccessful,” MBJ Ltd said, adding that contact was eventually made with Hospiten’s ambulance service which arrived at 11:40 am.

Based on the timeline MBJ provided, this was 28 minutes after Smith collapsed. However, MBJ Ltd stressed that Hospiten staff provided medical assistance to Smith during that interval.

“They administered CPR and all appropriate life-saving measures, including the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). At no time was the passenger left unattended or without medical care once the Hospiten personnel arrived,” said the statement.

Over the past few days, MBJ Ltd has come under a barrage of criticism for the way in which the incident was handled. Questions have been raised about why such a heavily used international airport does not have a dedicated ambulance and medical personnel on location.

MBJ Ltd addressed those concerns in its statement, saying it “actively maintains a medical facility at the airport, by way of a contractual arrangement that exists between MBJ and Hospiten”.

It said that among the medical services Hospiten provides is a nurse’s station and “on-call ambulance services”.

MBJ Ltd explained the circumstances under which an ambulance would be requested.

“The nurse, in assessing a medical emergency or based on information provided, makes a determination if the patient will require further medical attention, including making the request for an ambulance. These arrangements are in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organization standards and are part of a comprehensive emergency response plan which is regularly reviewed and tested with other stakeholders,” it said.

“In medical emergencies, all efforts are made to provide medical assistance to users of the airport to ensure their well-being, including coordination with relevant stakeholders. In this incident, attempts were made to contact all nearby medical entities that can provide a response,” it added.

The statement also repeated earlier assurances that there is no policy that includes charging passengers for ambulance services required during an emergency.