WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — The resort town of Negril, which has been without a functional ambulance for several months, is expected to receive a repaired unit this week.

The assurance comes from the Executive Director of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) Dr Carey Wallace, just days after the tragic death of a tourist.

The vehicle is one of two units previously donated to the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) department of the Negril branch of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), both of which were subsequently involved in crashes. The most recent donation was approximately three years ago.

Faced with the lack of emergency transport, the Negril Chamber of Commerce petitioned the TEF for assistance. The TEF board subsequently approved $1.16 million to repair one of the damaged units.

“The vehicle is ready now. It is just that they realised that the starter was gone so they had to order a starter which added to the delay when we thought that it would take a few weeks,” shared Wallace. He noted that the delay has come at a time when locals and visitors require the services of the ambulance.

“The good news is that they said the starter arrived today (Saturday) and they are going to collect it and install it. So I am hoping that by the end of the day or certainly by the end of the week we will have the ambulance back in Negril,” Wallace told the Observer Online on Saturday.

Concerns over the lack of working emergency vehicles reached a breaking point following several recent accidents.

Reports are that on Wednesday night, a tourist who was drinking and enjoying music on the newly-refurbished Sunshine Village Plaza on West End Road in Negril lost her balance and fell from a balcony.

Due to the lack of an ambulance in Negril, the tourist who was bleeding was rushed to hospital in a police service vehicle.

Wednesday’s incident follows another in which a tourist was mowed down by a vehicle on the West End Road and had to also be transported to the hospital in a police service vehicle.

Since then, the calls for an EMS ambulance have become louder.

Prominent hotelier, Dalton Penny Hill who operates the Lighthouse Inn on the West End stated that, “In a situation where minutes can make the difference between life and death, such improvised transport is simply not acceptable.”

“Negril is one of Jamaica’s most well-known tourist destinations, welcoming visitors from around the world every day. For that very reason, both visitors and residents must be able to rely on a functioning emergency medical response system, including timely ambulance services,” argued Hill in a press release following the first incident in March.