Water ambulance for Matelot/Toco

Chairman of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation and councillor for the Toco/Fishing Pond district Martin Terry Rondon has acquired a 32-foot boat which would be used as a water ambulance during any emergency to get people to health care.

The boat was donated by the Japanese government. Rondon said the corporation did not pay for the boat, “Angela”, and would provide necessary service to residents along the north-eastern coast.

Angela was designed to transport two patients and could seat 20 passengers.

Rondon, speaking Tuesday to the media at the 21st anniversary celebration and interfaith service for the Eastern Regional Health Authority at the St Francis of Assisi RC Church said he had requested a boat to provide this service to residents along the coast 15 years ago.

“This boat was requested by me 15 years ago and the Cropper Foundation got some funding to do a rural area which is Matelot and Mayaro and during discussion I asked for a water ambulance. It would service residents between Matelot and Toco.

He said the vessel, which would be based at Grande Riviere, was easy to launch as it was close to the water.

“There are times when we have storms in our area and our roads are blocked off and we would have to wait on fishermen to carry sick people, pregnant women to Toco and even Las Cuevas. It will be stationed at Grande Riviere because it is easy to launch as the river is right there and the health centre is close to the beach,” Rondon said.

He said on August 18, which is the day for the Great Race, they would be using the boat as a patrol boat in case of any emergency between Toco and the shallows out in Tobago.

Rondon said the corporation was going to stand all the finances to have the vessel up and running.