More evidence of Scioto County’s EMS Crisis.
A report came in at 6:34 pm of a child injured at 17th and Grandview. However, Portsmouth Ambulance said that all ambulances were currently in use, and they would not be able to get a squad to the scene for 30 minutes.
The mother decided to take the child to SOMC herself.
The same thing happened to an elderly man experiencing a health crisis last week. A 79-year-old man experiencing gall bladder issues called for help, but Portsmouth Ambulance did not have a unit available to respond.
Portsmouth EMS said if the case was not a dire emergency, they couldn’t respond to the address on the Old Scioto Trail without permission from their chief.
Despite efforts to find another ambulance, there were no other ambulances available in the county to respond.
Dispatch called back to the family and advised there was no one available to respond. The family said they would bring the man to the hospital in a private vehicle.
Local officials advised residents to avoid calling for an ambulance unless someone is in a life-threatening situation, or if their condition is likely to worsen in the near future, or if moving them may cause further injury. Those who feel they need medical attention should be transported by an alternative means, not an ambulance or squad.