An Akumal ambulance update has just been sent out by Marieke Brown, who has been active in establishing the Red Cross ambulance presence in Akumal. Her message and a letter from the Tulum Cruz Roja director follow:
Hello Akumal!
Here is the latest update from the Red Cross regarding the Akumal Ambulance activity over the last 2 months. The paramedics have treated 27 emergencies, including a number of serious injuries, several semi drownings, and sadly 2 deaths by drowning. I attended the opening of the annual Red Cross collection month last night, and I spoke to the paramedics who have been working in Akumal, and they gave me some really important feedback relating to our policies on how the snorkel tours are run. They referred to the man who died this week in Akumal Bay. He was a 77 year old man who was on a snorkel tour. He had had 2 heart attacks previously, but was not questioned about his physical well-being prior to being taken on the tour. He had a 3rd heart attack while in the water, and the paramedics tell me that the snorkel guide, who was guiding a very large group, did not actually notice that the man was in trouble until it was much too late. The paramedics and life guards tried to resuscitate the man on the beach, but too much time had passed and there was nothing that they could do.
The paramedics suggest that there should be some sort of medical screening process prior to snorkel tour participants entering the water, in the same way that the divers are asked to complete a short medical questionnaire. If any health risks are flagged in the questionnaire, then the snorkel tour participant should be asked to seek medical advice prior to entering the water. The client may be upset that they can not snorkel on their chosen day, but in the event of a medical complication, the chance of survival is much higher on the shore. This is very important, and the responsibility of the community of Akumal, to look after the safety and well-being of our visitors.
The second point that they raised is the size of the tour groups. How many snorkelers can one guide safely monitor while in the water? Would a life have been saved this week if the group was smaller and the guide was able to spot the problem and start the rescue process more quickly?
But to end on a positive note, the Red Cross have been able to successfully help 25 people over the last 8 weeks which brings us to almost 50 medical emergencies attended in the last 3 months. We also have a newer ambulance stationed in Akumal further improving paramedic response times. With spring break here, and Semana Santa on the way, I’m sure that you’ll agree that we need the Akumal Ambulance in place now more than ever.
We are continuing to fund-raise for the paramedics salaries and ambulances running costs, and to ensure that we can keep this service in our community. Plaza UKana very generously donates accommodations for the paramedics at night time to ensure that they are centrally located at all times. The Akumal Comedy Festival (April 14-18, 2015) is the next large fundraiser event. 100% of the proceeds from the Festival will go directly to the Red Cross and the money from the Akumal shows will be used to pay for the Akumal Ambulance. Despite the fund raising efforts, there is still no where near enough money coming in from our community to pay for the ambulance. The money being used to pay for the Akumal Ambulance at the moment is money that has been raised through Tulum.
If you would like to support the ambulance project by way of a donation, you can do so via Paypal or with your credit card. This goes directly to the Tulum Red Cross PayPal account and the donation is labelled “Akumal Ambulance” https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=ZAAD79BPGYG4U
You can also make a bank transfer directly to the Red Cross if you wish to donate. Mexican businesses will receive a deducible for tax purposes. Please contact the Red Cross directly for bank information. Cruz Roja Tulum – Lic. Verónica Madrid Pérez [email protected] 984 151 7553 / 984 176 1217
Again, thank you so much for your help and support! It really does take a village!
:o)Best regards, Marieke
∗ Remember — Keep your Personal Emergency Info handy, as well as the phone number for the Akumal Ambulance: 984- 802-5521 and the list of First Responders available in Akumal.
Leave a Reply