commitment to setting up emergency medical services in those areas.

Commenting on the heels of the third road fatality in the West End in two weeks, Sandys North MP Dennis Lister stressed that having an ambulance at the Port Royal Fire Station, rather than relying on one from King Edward VII Memorial Hospital would significantly improve the chances of saving a life.

Delvin Russell Knight, 36, died from internal injuries after he apparently lost control of his cycle on Malabar Road in Somerset just after midnight last Saturday.

One witness to the accident said the ambulance arrived at the scene of the accident at least 35 minutes after it happened.

Mr. Knight was the third person to die in a West End road accident within the last two weeks, bringing the Island's yearly road fatality toll to seven.

Four years ago Government promised to establish emergency medical services at the far ends of the Island.

But while personnel at the Port Royal and Clearwater fire sub-stations are capable of handling fire emergencies, they are not fully trained to assist in serious medical crises, Mr. Lister and Opposition MP for St. George's North, Leon (Jimmy) Williams pointed out.

Noting that Mr. Knight died shortly after arriving at the hospital, Mr. Lister said: "Generally speaking, the fact that there is such a distance between the hospital and Dockyard and that there is no guarantee on the road conditions or the time it takes to get there, having an ambulance travel from Port Royal rather than King Edward would improve the chance of saving a life significantly.

"It is not only road accidents that require emergency attention,'' he added.

"There are many accidents that can happen like heart attacks for example and not just our locals are affected, but our tourists as well.'' Mr. Williams recalled: "There was once a St. George's man who had a heart attack while mowing his grass. The ambulance took so long that unfortunately that man is no longer with us.

"Government must provide this service to St. George's,'' he added. "It's a question between life and death.'' Mr. Lister attributed the inadequacy to a "lack of concern from Government''.

"Part of Government's original plan when they built the Port Royal fire sub-station was to have an ambulance there as well,'' he said. "Now, how long has that been standing there and there's still no sign of getting one?'' Health and Social Services Permanent Secretary Donald Scott said plans for providing emergency services to the ends of the Island had not changed.

Mr. Scott was speaking in reference to an article published in The Royal Gazette on July 25 which stated plans for emergency medical services at both the Port Royal and Clearwater fire sub-stations were at "a pretty advanced stage''.

Mr. Scott yesterday acknowledged the services were long-awaited, but emphasised the need to "ensure a sufficient number of personnel are able to administer such services''.

"So far, 28 personnel have been trained and certified,'' he added. "But, the services require between 38 and 40 and all of that is being worked on so hopefully it will be on line by the end of the year.''