There is a major problem in the country with a shortage of ambulances in hospitals such as Dario Contreras, Moscoso Puello, Luis Eduardo Aybar, Juan Pablo Pina, Rafael J. Manon, San Vicente de Paul, Boca Chica Maternity, Luis Morillo King and others.
The Minister of Public Health, Freddy Hidalgo, said that the 50 ambulances that can be seen parked at the baseball stadium in the capital, were bought during the last government and have not been assigned to the hospitals because they are changing the system of transporting patients. He said that he hoped more ambulances would arrive next month.
He said that the reason for the delay in issuing them is that they will no long transfer passengers in an ambulance without any form of assistance for the patient during the journey and added that a system for distributing the ambulances to the emergency centers has been created by the Ministry with two already working, one in Higuey and one in Barahona.
He went on to say that in the next few days they would distribute the ambulances to the main hospitals.
However, according to El Caribe, the ambulances parked in Quisqueya stadium have deteriorated due to prolonged exposure to the elements. The tires are flat, the paint is rusting and peeling off and it appears that some have had parts robbed.