Responding to gun-related incidents is one of the major concerns for Emergency Ambulance Service (EAS) staff.
Head of the service, Dr David Byer, told THE NATION that responders often did not feel safe, especially when a crowd that had no empathy for the victim was present.
“These events present a challenge for pre-hospital emergency responders with respect to their personal safety. We have also found that persons who gather at the scene are not always pro-patient, and this is something we have to navigate with the assistance of our colleagues from the Royal Barbados Police Force,” said Byer.
Such interpersonal violence and vehicular accidents, termed trauma, account for 20 per cent of all EAS calls. On average, the service responds to between 50 to 60 calls within a 24-hour time frame, and this can increase during the Christmas/New Year holiday period. (SP)
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