MANDEVILLE, Manchester — A senior health administrator and a local government representative are calling for the establishment of the Jamaica Fire Brigade’s Emergency Medical Service (EMS) unit in this south-central parish, amid multiple serious accidents and critical incidents.

Director at the Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA) Michael Bent and Councillor Mario Mitchell (People’s National Party, Bellefield Division) both agree that the deployment of an EMS unit with a dedicated ambulance is well-needed in Manchester.

Bent said the seven ambulances in Manchester’s Health Service are responsible for moving patients between hospitals and for medical care including diagnostic services. He noted that these ambulances are sometimes not available to respond immediately to crash scenes, or other emergencies.

“Three ambulances are at Mandeville Regional, three ambulances are at Percy Junor Hospital, and one ambulance is for the primary care facilities. Our ambulances are for transporting patients in between health facilities, transferring from hospital to hospital — whether it is in Kingston — and for the ones in primary care for persons who would come to a particular clinic and they need to be rushed to the hospital,” Bent said on Wednesday while emphasising the strain on ambulances in the health care fleet.

“On average each ambulance does 10 trips per day in terms of intra-transfer… and taking persons for diagnostic services,” added Bent.

He reiterated that the availability of ambulances can be a challenge at times based on where the units were dispatched.

“Many times people will call when there is an accident, but our ambulances might not be available, because of the workload. We believe that certainly there is the need for an emergency medical service [unit] within the parish of Manchester… There is one in Westmoreland which is managed by the fire services and certainly we believe that should happen in Manchester,” said Bent.

Several major roads in Manchester have been the scene of numerous crashes through the years.

Responders to some scenes have had to place victims in the back of pickups and other vehicles to transport them to hospital.

There were frantic scenes on Spur Tree Hill main road a year ago as firefighters, police, and a wrecker crew worked feverishly to extricate a truck driver trapped between two heavy units following a three-truck collision.

Following a nearly two-hour wait the truck driver was removed from the wreckage and a human chain was formed by firefighters, residents, and passing motorists to lift the injured man over a wall to a waiting ambulance.

That unit was dispatched from the Mandeville Regional Hospital shortly before the injured man was removed from the wreckage following a phone call by a concerned citizen to a senior member of staff at the health care facility.

Bent pointed to the crash prone areas in Manchester in supporting the call for an EMS unit in the parish.

“There are accident hot spots like Spur Tree where there have been several accidents, then you have the new highway leg where there have been accidents, [also] on the Winston Jones Highway. It is our view at the Southern Regional Health Authority that EMS [unit] managed by the [Ministry of] Local Government, fire service would help in a better response for accident victims in the parish, because those ambulances in the [health] facilities are very busy,” argued Bent.

“Mandeville alone does over 12,000 ambulance transfers per year and that is not just talking about one hospital. Sometimes some of these transfers can take hours. You take a person into say UHWI (University Hospital of the West Indies) or KPH (Kingston Public Hospital), sometimes it takes time for the ambulance to come back,” he added.

In echoing Ben’s call Mitchell pointed to areas of concern due to frequent crashes.

“The accidents at most of Manchester’s crash spots are serious. We have the Melrose Hill Bypass. We have Spur Tree Hill. We have Shooters Hill and Pen Hill. A number of these roads are critical hotspots in terms of accidents. From time to time we see where the crashes result in fatalities,” Mitchell said on Tuesday.

He pointed to a fatal crash on the Pen Hill Main Road in March where two National Water Commission workers succumbed to injuries they sustained in a two-vehicle collision; and Monday’s fatal crash on the Winston Jones Highway involving Dave Ebanks Jr.

An ambulance from the Mandeville Hospital responded to the scene Monday night and assisted in transporting three people to the facility.

“Just [Monday] night Mr Ebanks died. He is someone who I have known since he was born. I know his parents very well. I continue to make the call at each parish council meeting that the fire department — which responds effectively and is very responsive to the needs of Manchester — needs its own ambulance in Manchester,” said Mitchell.

“I think Manchester is one of the parishes with a high number of fatal accidents with all of these roads that I just mentioned, so I am making the plea again publicly in light of what has happened that the Manchester Fire Department needs its own ambulance service to respond effectively to crashes and accidents and just for general medical care,” added Mitchell.

He expressed concern over the handling of crash victims by untrained citizens.

“Sometimes they may create more harm than good… For example there was a truck crash on Spur Tree Hill [and] persons assisted in taking the [victims] to hospital, but an effective ambulance service with the trained firemen and personnel would be critical for Manchester,” said Mitchell.

On Wednesday two people narrowly escaped serious injury when the car they were travelling in plunged over a precipice off the Spur Tree main road. Firefighters responded shortly before 8:00 am and administered c-collars to an elderly man and woman who were removed from the mangled car. They were transported to hospital by a motorist.

Mitchell also pointed to the need for medical services for other emergencies.

“We have seen situations where older persons or those who live alone [need an ambulance service]. Manchester has a larger population because people are moving here because of the climate and everything else,” said Mitchell.

Bellefield Councillor Mario Mitchell speaking with the Jamaica Observer on Tuesday. (Photo: Kasey Williams)

A mangled motor car after it plunged over a precipice off Spur Tree Hill on Wednesday morning.

A mangled motor car after it plunged over a precipice off Spur Tree Hill on Wednesday morning. 

Wrecked vehicles involved in a fatal crash on Winston Jones Highway in Mandeville Monday night. (Photo: Kasey Williams)

Firefighters, residents and motorists form a human train to get this truck driver on the stretcher to an ambulance after he was freed from the wreckage of a three-truck crash on Spur Tree Hill on February 20, 2025. The man was pinned between two trucks for about two hours. (Photo: Kasey Williams)