STAND. COM. REP. NO.1204

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: H.R. No. 16

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.R. No. 16 entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION RELATing TO SUPPORTING THE FUNDING OF A SECOND AMBULANCE TO SERVE THE WAIANAE COAST,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this resolution is to support the funding of a second ambulance to serve the Waianae Coast.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center and the Department of Health (DOH).

Your Committee realizes that the Waianae Coast has a growing population, consisting of over 40,000 citizens. Moreover, your Committee understands that the City and County of Honolulu is woefully lacking in the provision of adequate Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to that area. In fact, when the single ambulance that services this community is on a call, a "back up" unit must respond from the Makakilo, Waipahu, Aiea, or Wahiawa area which may take upwards of 40 minutes. This response time is ridiculously inadequate and does not meet the standards set forth by the DOH's EMS Systems Branch.

Moreover, your Committee realizes that the Waianae Coast ranks highest in the number of trauma cases handled by ambulance units on O'ahu and second highest in cardiac cases. Thus, in a life and death situation, which many of these cases are, the response time by the so-called "back up" units is unacceptable and may be life endangering.

Therefore, your Committee would like to stress that more can and needs to be done to assist the residents of the Waianae community with respect to their emergency medical care.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 16 and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair