Millions of dollars have been allocated in the 2026/2027 budget for new medical equipment including ambulances for New Providence and Grand Bahama.

Minister of Health and Wellness, the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville spoke about the issue with ZNS News on Monday. He said, “this line item speaks specifically about ambulances in this year’s budget, in the capital budget. So if you want to know what the government is doing you have to follow the money.”

According to the minister the government is planning to procure fifteen to twenty new ambulances. He said, “some of the ambulances that I have in Freeport was designed for my EMT program in other family islands. But we’re in the process of procuring ambulances now. We have the budgetary allocation. It started in our last term in office and it will continue in this term.”

Amid concern about the number of ambulances operational on Grand Bahama. Dr. Darville explained, “ambulances are operating, pretty much, on a 24 hour period with a one or two day break for preventative maintenance. And so, they reach their end life very quickly. If you gat a piece of equipment or vehicle that’s running all the time you can’t expect it to last fully. And then, of course, the wear and tear. And so they constantly need to be upgraded, the fleet, and to be replaced.”

The government also plans to expand emergency medical services to family islands. Emergency medical technicians are currently being trained at the PHA Academy.