STAND. COM. REP. 518

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 436

 

 

 

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. 436 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO FUND A SECOND AMBULANCE TO SERVE THE WAIANAE COAST,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds for an additional ambulance unit to service the Waianae Coast.

The Emergency Services Department of the City and County of Honolulu, Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, American Heart Association of Hawaii, and a concerned citizen testified in support of this measure. The Department of Health (DOH) testified in support of the intent of the measure.

A growing population along the Waianae Coast has caused the number of emergency responses to the area to increase by approximately 20 percent over the last five years. Since there is no medical facility in the Waianae area, ambulances must travel to St. Francis Medical Center-West in Ewa to drop off patients in need of medical attention, as this is the nearest hospital. This adversely affects the ambulance response times to the Waianae area and depletes already limited resources as ambulance units from other areas of the island must cover the Waianae area when the Waianae Unit responds to a call.

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. 436 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

 

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair