By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)—Mayor Peter Carlisle and the Honolulu Emergency Services Department (HESD) continue to closely monitor the consequences of the announced closures of the Hawaii Medical Center East and West.
The Hawaii Medical Center notified the City Friday that both of its hospitals would no longer accept any patients by ambulance and could close their emergency rooms within days.
Currently, HESD’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Division has ambulance units in Waianae, Makakilo and Waipahu with a 16-hour unit in Nanakuli. To augment the emergency response capabilities for the Leeward Coast, two additional EMS ambulance units have been placed in service and the existing unit at Nanakuli has been expanded to 24-hour coverage.
HESD Director Dr. James Ireland and Deputy Director Mark Rigg have been in close contact with the Healthcare Association of Hawaii and the State Department of Health through the weekend.
Mayor Carlisle has made patient care and emergency medical response a priority during this healthcare transition.
The City is reminding the public to call 911 for medical emergencies. EMS has ambulances capable of advanced life support and will provide care and transport to the nearest appropriate medical facility.
EMS has received over 40 calls for emergencies from the Leeward Coast from midnight to noon on Dec. 17, 2011. The additional units have ensured an adequate emergency medical response.
EMS ambulance units from Leeward and Central Oahu have been using Wahiawa General Hospital and Pali Momi Medical Center since Friday afternoon. However those hospitals have maximized their capacity and are now on ambulance reroute or divert status. EMS ambulances on the Leeward Coast are utilizing Kaiser Medical Center, Tripler Army Medical Center and the downtown hospitals until the others are no longer on divert status.