MP tells Parliament staffing shortages reportedly delayed an emergency response and warns residents could suffer if unresolved personnel problems push ambulance services to the breaking point.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Omar Ottley sounded an urgent warning about Sint Maarten’s ambulance service during Tuesday’s Central Committee debate on the draft 2027 budget, telling Parliament he had received reports of only one available driver and that the employee had told him he intended to resign.
Ottley’s intervention placed the condition of ambulance personnel squarely before government, raising questions about staffing, employee welfare and the country’s ability to respond when residents need emergency medical assistance.
According to Ottley, the information came directly from someone within the service approximately two weeks earlier.
“One driver,” he repeated, emphasizing the seriousness of the reported shortage.
He then told Parliament that the driver who had continued holding on had personally informed him that he intended to submit what Ottley described as a “forced resignation.”
Ottley characterized the employee as experienced ambulance personnel who had remained committed out of love for the job. He warned that even that commitment was reaching its limit.
A warning about emergency response
Ottley linked the reported shortage to an accident in which someone lost their life, saying the ambulance took time to reach the scene because only one driver was available.
He said he was unsure of the accident’s location. His remarks did not establish the length of the reported delay or whether it affected the outcome.
Nevertheless, the allegation raises a serious question for government: how is emergency coverage being maintained when available personnel are reportedly stretched so thin?
An ambulance requires qualified personnel to deliver care. Vehicles and equipment cannot resolve a shortage of the people needed to operate them.
Ottley’s account therefore puts pressure on the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor to explain the staffing situation, arrangements for covering absences, and measures being taken to retain experienced employees.
Sick leave and alleged mistreatment
The MP further alleged that several ambulance employees were on sick leave, referring to back pain and other health complaints. He attributed those absences to what he described as abuse personnel was facing.
Ottley made these allegations during his parliamentary contribution. The transcript does not independently establish the reasons for employees’ absences or confirm that the reported resignation has been submitted.
However, his remarks demand a substantive response to the concerns he raised about how ambulance personnel are being treated and whether their working conditions are undermining the service.
Ottley said the situation had been continuing for nearly two years. He warned that allowing it to drag on would ultimately hurt the public.
“Let us keep playing, and we’ll see the people will suffer,” he said, warning about the day “that there’s no ambulance on the road.”
Are new vehicles new ambulances?
His intervention followed questions about an allocation of 2.1 million for new vehicles.
Ottley asked whether that spending included new ambulances, seeking an explanation of what government intended to purchase. He questioned the allocation while also criticizing proposed reductions in funding for Community Development, Family and Humanitarian Affairs.
The distinction matters. If government intends to strengthen emergency medical services through vehicle purchases, Parliament must also be able to assess whether sufficient personnel will be available to operate those vehicles.
Ottley’s remarks brought that practical concern into the budget debate: what will the spending deliver, and can the service sustain it?
Government faces questions over service continuity
The warning leaves government facing specific questions. How many ambulance drivers are currently available for duty? How many personnel are absent, and how are their shifts being covered? Has the employee identified by Ottley submitted a resignation, and what steps have been taken to address the concerns behind it?
The parliamentary contribution reviewed for this report contains Ottley’s questions and allegations, rather than a government response resolving them.
For residents, the issue reaches beyond budget figures. It concerns whether trained ambulance personnel will be available when an emergency call comes in.
Ottley has warned Parliament that an experienced employee’s dedication may no longer be enough to keep him on the job. Government now needs to explain how it will support its ambulance personnel and maintain the emergency service on which the country depends.
