Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2399, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for supplies, equipment, and vehicle maintenance to operate an ambulance donated by the Gerald & Janet Carrus Family Foundation to the Ocean View Community Association.

Your Committee finds that emergency calls to the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates Area present tremendous problems regarding triage and transport of patients. If the emergency medical services ambulance in Pahala is on a call or taking part in the transfer of a critical patient to Kona or Hilo, very long delays may occur in the Ocean View area and other ambulances may be taken out of district to respond. The aeromedical chopper is an integral part of rapid transfers, especially in trauma, but there are times that the weather does not permit air transport or it is not medically appropriate to use the aeromedical chopper. A fully equipped and well-maintained ambulance made possible by this measure fills a critical gap in responsive emergency medical services in the Ocean View area.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the appropriation amount of $630,680 to an unspecified amount to promote further discussion on the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2399, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2399, S.D. 2.