Hall Ambulances Struggling to Keep up due to Covid

Hall Ambulances Struggling to Keep up due to Covid

PRESS BRIEFING TODAY THE COUNTYSHARED THAT HALLAMBULANCE HAS BEEN STRUGGLING TOKEEP UP WITHREGULAR CALLS AND COVID-19 CALLSAS CASES CONTINUE TORISE.TO HELP WITH THE GROWING DEMANDTHE STATE WILL BESENDING HELP THIS WEEKEND.BEGINNING JURY 26 WHICH ISSUNDAYLIBERTY AMBULANCE WILL BEPROVIDING ONGOINGTO ASSISTANCE AND THE STATE ISDEPLOYING TO AMBULANCE STRIKETEAMS AND WILL BE POSTED HERETHROUGH THE WEEKEND.EXTRA HELP IS ON THE WAY TO KERNCOUNTY AFTER HALL AMBULANCETOLD PUBLIC HEALTH THEY WERESTRUGGLING TOKEEP UP.ACCORDING TO HALL AMBULANCE FORTHE PAST TWO TO THREEWEEKS THEY HAVE SEEN A LARGESURGE IN THE NUMBER OF COVIDPOSITIVE OR SUSPECTED COVIDPATIENTS THEY'VE HAD TOTRANSPORT.OFFICIALS ESTIMATE THEY'VETRANSPORTED 1,000 PATIENTS SOFAR DURING THE PANDEMIC.ACCORDING TO THE COMPANY.

THEYWEREN'T SEEING THIS MANYCALLS A FEW MONTHS AGO.IN MARCH -- HALL AMBULANCE SAYSITS CALL VOLUME HAD DROPPED BYA THIRD COMPARED TO LAST YEAR.BUT THEN A SURGE HIT.IT REALLY STARTED IN JUNE WHEREWETRANSPORTED 352 PATIENTS AND INJULY WHERE WE STILL HAVE A WEEKLEFT OF THISMONTH BUT WE ARE AT 385 ANDCOUNTING AND ITS IMPACTING USTREMENDOUSLY.MARK FORUM THE DIRECTOR OF MEDIASERVICES FOR HALLAMBULANCE SAYS IT IS TAKING ALARGE AMOUNT OF TIME..

TOTRANSFER PATIENTS TOHOSPITALS..SOMETIMES IT TAKES UPTO FOUR HOURS TO GET PATIENTSINSIDE HOSPITALS..ON TOP OF THAT -- ONCE PATIENTSARE IN THE HOSPITAL -- THEYHAVE TO DECONTAMINATE THEAMBULANCE BEFORE IT CAN BEUSED AGAIN.WHICH ALSO SLOWED DOWN THEIRRESPONSE TIME.LAST WEEKEND WAS A NIGHTMAREWITH RESPONSE AND CALL VOLUMES..SO WESTARTED WORKING AND DOING TWOTHINGS STARTING TOMORROW AT 9AMWE ARE WORKING WITH THE STATEEMS AUTHORITY TO GET TWOAMBULANCESTRIKE TEAMS WHICH WILL PROVIDEA REPONSE FOR THE AREA EACH TEAMHAS5 AMBULANCES AND A SUPERVISOR-SO THIS WILL BE TEN AMBULANCESADDED.

HALL AMBULANCE SERVICESCOVER 80 PERCENT OF KERNCOUNTY'SPOPULATION, BUT AS CALLS ANDCASES GO UP -- NOW THEY HAVEASKED FOR ADDITIONAL BACKUP TOADDRESS THEINCREASE OF SERVICE.ORIGINALLY OUR PROCESS TOOKABOUT THREE HOURS WITH THEREPERSONNEL TOCOMPLETE A DECOMINTIANTION BUTNOW WE ARE ABLE TO WITH NEWTECHNOLOGY TO GET IT DOWN TO ANHOUR..BUT STATS STILL ADDITIONALTIMETHAT THEY ARE UNAVAILABLE.AND DESPITE THE DELAYED RESPONSETIMES HALL AMBULANCE