Trending
Thank you, Peter Angleton, M.D., for your experience-based insights and professional opinions regarding ongoing efforts to establish a full-service hospital in West Maui (The Maui News, Opinion, Oct. 15).
Years ago, a cross-section of West Maui community stakeholders was invited to participate in the planning of future development on agricultural land previously farmed by Amfac. The sugar industry had ended in West Maui. The goal was to establish a vision for our growing community thus, naming this group, Ka'anapali 2020.
Committees were formed to assess needs, research and present our findings back to the large group. I was chairperson of the Health Committee. We assessed health needs and researched services needed on the west side. We identified the lack of an emergency facility in West Maui as a need.
We collected data regarding the number of ambulance transports to Maui Memorial Hospital. The data reflected that there was insufficient admittance to the hospital for each ambulance transport for a full-service hospital to be considered.
In conclusion, our group recommended an emergency facility to "Stop, Stabilize and Transport." Use of a heliport for serious cases from West Maui to the hospital was also discussed.
I don't have current data on ambulance transports in relationship with the number of hospital admittance, but I dare to presume that the data hasn't changed significantly.
It is clear that our West Maui hospital has hit a funding block. Should we regroup and consider what Dr. Angleton has suggested? We may find success sooner than later.
Marsha S. Nakamura
Lahaina