Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1498 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds to provide emergency medical air helicopter services for the county of Maui.

The Office of the Mayor, County of Maui; several members of the Maui County Council; Maui Hotel Association; Healthcare Association of Hawaii; Hawaii Health Systems Corporation; American Medical Response; and numerous individuals testified in support of this measure. The Department of Health and Hawaii Air Ambulance, Inc., supported the intent of this measure.

Your Committee finds that current emergency medical air transportation services in Maui County lack the ability to transport severely injured or ill persons who require immediate medical attention at tertiary hospitals in Honolulu in a timely manner.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1498 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.