Jamaica: Ambulance and Emergency Medical Services

DIAL 110 TO CALL AN AMBULANCE IN JAMAICA

As reported by the Jamaican Fire Brigade, the official national emergency number for the fire department is 110. However, the fire department also makes clear on their website that each fire station and ambulance service also has a unique, individual number. (See sections below: “CAN I CALL FROM HELP ANYWHERE?” and “WHAT OTHER EMERGENCY NUMBERS CAN I CALL?”)

The number 110 can be accessed from any phone and will connect you to the fire department’s main dispatch in Kingston. Once the dispatcher has ascertained your location, they will relay your call to the nearest fire station and/or ambulance station.

According to the Jamaican Fire Brigade’s website, each fire, police and ambulance station has their own phone numbers.

In addition to the fire department numbers listed in the previous section, several private ambulance providers can also be contacted which are typically used for inter-facility transfers between hospitals:

GROUND AMBULANCE IN JAMAICA

• Accident & Emergency Services Ltd: 876-758-8286; [email protected]
  • Kingston, St. Andrew, parts of St. Catharine, St. Thomas
  • Cross-Island transfers possible
• AmbuCare Ambulance Service:
  • Kingston: 876-978-2327
  • Bridgeport: 876-939-2273
  • Ironshore: 876-953-2938
• EGAS Ambulance Services:
  • Kingston: 876-974-2607
  • (Website last updated 2011)
• GentleCare Ambulance Service:
  • Kingston: 876-622-0184
• LifeLine Medical Services:
  • Ocho Rios: 876-404-7913 / 876-974-8950
• Medical Associates Hospital:
  • Kingston: 876-926-1400
• SureTime EMS:
  • Kingston: 876-906-7873(SURE)
  • Ask for Dr. MacDonald; has ambulance; does house calls

EDITOR’S NOTE: It is unclear whether the Jamaican Red Cross is actively involved in prehospital emergency care; their locations have been included in our EMS coverage map for reference.

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management operates out of the Office of the Prime Minister and “has the unique role of being the only government agency to provide disaster management functions in Jamaica.”

The Ministry of Health oversees health-related communications and coordination during disasters through the division of Emergency Disaster Management and Special Services:

“The Branch systematically: 1) analyses and manages health risks, posed by emergencies and disasters, 2) develop, implement and monitor medical and health emergency and disaster management programmes at the central, regional and parish levels of the health services, 3) establishes and operationalises the MOH National Emergency Operations Centre within four (4) hours of the need, including the mobilisation of staff and other resources and 4) develops, monitors and supports the implementation of public information and education programmes for the health aspects of emergency and disaster management.”

PREHOSPITAL EMERGENCY CARE PROVIDERS

LIFEGUARDS

• According to the ILSF, over 3,000 lifeguards have been trained in Jamaica since 1996 with examinations for new trainees scheduled through 2017, though enforcement of regulations to ensure lifeguard supervision at public and private swimming locations is limited

Transport by Ground Ambulance in Jamaica
Inter-facility transfers are most often arranged through private ambulance providers at the request of physicians at the referring facility

• From a study on neonatal transfers (Salome, 2017): “The minimum time between acceptance of the patient and the patient leaving the referring hospital was 1h and the maximum 6h; mean6SD time: 2.94 6 1.8 h. The most common reason for delay in transport was that of awaiting an available ambulance, reported in 8 of 10 cases for whom information was available.”
• “With limited staff in resource-limited settings, the decision as to which member of the staff accompanies the neonate is not based on level of expertise required but rather on who can be released with minimum amount of disruption to the functioning of the ward, usually junior staff.”

Transport by Air Ambulance in Jamaica
Transport via helicopter can be arranged through the Jamaica Defence Force.

See map at top of page for list of public and private healthcare facilities in Jamaica.

Common Emergencies in Jamaica

• Road Traffic Injuries
• Inter-Personal Violence
• Hurricanes
• Drownings
• Zika Virus is also a risk in Jamaica: 
  Alert – Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions
  
  Read the CDC’s Zika Travel Notice for Jamaica

Recommended Vaccinations for Jamaica

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), different groups of travelers will require different vaccinations for travel in Jamaica:

• All Travelers
  • Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine
  • Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine
  • Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine
  • Polio vaccine
  • Your yearly flu shot
• Most Travelers
  • Hepatitis A
  • Typhoid
• Some Travelers
  • Hepatitis B
  • Rabies
  • Yellow Fever – “There is no risk of yellow fever in Jamaica. The government of Jamaica requires proof of yellow fever vaccination only if you are arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever. This does not include the US.” See full list here.

Read more about travel in Jamaica at the CDC website:  https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/jamaica/ (Last accessed: Aug. 7, 2017)

• Jamaica Fire Brigade
  • Facebook Page 
• Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management
• National Environment & Planning Agency – Responsible for Jamaica’s lifeguard licensing (see: The Jamaica Beach Control Act 2006)
  • ‘ “Approximately 173 beach licences have been issued for recreational use in the past five years, but while several of these licensees have breached the terms of their agreement, NEPA noted in emailed correspondence to The Sunday Gleaner that none of the operators have been prosecuted.“While several of the licensees have breached conditions of the licences, there is no record of any holder of a beach licence losing their licence unless it has not been renewed. The breaches identified are generally complied with upon serving of the first enforcement instrument, which is a warning notice.“Once this happens, there is no need for further enforcement action, which may include prosecution,” said NEPA.’ [Source: “Jamaicans flock unlicensed beaches which do not have the basic safety requirements!” Jamaica-Gleaner.com July 19, 2015]

 Henry S et al: “Challenges in neonatal transport in Jamaica: A resource-limited setting.” J Trop Pediatr 2017 fmw095. doi: 10.1093/tropej/fmw095