Although Amanda and Natalie are correct in their assessment of the emergency medical problems here, the solution is not quite so simplistic. Quick response is, of course, vital to good emergency care but so is proper medical equipment and the training of the doctor involved.
Emergency trauma care is an area of specialization and we should not expect the same results from a doctor who specializes in dermatology. I doubt anyone would retain a Corporate Tax Attorney to defend them in a Capital Murder case. The same goes for medicine. There are many disiplines of medicine but until we have all the necessary resources on the island to deal with traumatic emergency cases, I'm afraid this controversey will continue.
The Polyclinic was intended to be the panacea of emergency care here, but After a lot of money and equipment was donated by foreigners, we find ourselves with the same needs. Until the Polyclinic functions as intended and the "Docton On Call" is "On Call" and not on the mainland, we will suffer from the same margins of care.
Some of the doctors in private pratice here already donate many hours and their own supplies for emergency care without the expectation of compensation or even a simple "Thank You"!
The solution will not be easy but the core element is in place. The Polyclinic should have a doctor trained in trauma care, the necessary equipment, a patient bed, and a gate to the airstrip to facilitate the quick evacuation of a patient if needed. Someone should solicit donations of portable defibulators and supply every doctor on the island with such. All airliners that fly here have them aboard. Most hotels, schools, government and office buildings in the U.S. and Canada have them readily available. So should we!
I respectfully and completely whole heartedly dissagree with this "we need a trauma specialist to have a good E.R." statement. I bet you a coke or beer that most if not all of the local doctors would do a good job handling emergencies of all forms. Any additional training needed could be brought in by E.R. doctors (drdisaster) already on the board who I'm sure are instructors in these coarses for other doctors and have already stated their willingness to train these docotrs if any addition training is needed.
We are not trying to create a level III trauma center on AC. We just want a functioning 24/7 E.R. for starters.
AmbergrisCaye.com 
