Medical Air Services Association (MASA) has held a very successful Appreciation Day event for its clients and to further create public awareness of its work in Anguilla.
The function, held on the grounds of the company’s offices, just east of The Valley Primary School, attracted a number of invitees and passers by who were welcomed by MASA’s Country Manager, Don Curtis, and staff. The visitors had an opportunity to ask questions about the company’s air ambulance service and other related matters, while they enjoyed refreshments and the music of Anguilla Time String Band.
Mr. Curtis spoke to The Anguillian about MASA’s work on the island. “We are having an Appreciation Day for all of our clients on our Third Anniversary here in Anguilla,” he explained. “Our business is not an insurance company. It is an air ambulance plus other emergency services company. The main service we provide is to get people off the island where and when they need to go. We work very closely with the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Anguilla and hospitals around the region – including Miami, Puerto Rico,St. Thomas, Trinidad and Barbados.
“Anguilla is not a level one trauma centre, so when people have a very serious ailment, or other problem, it is very frequent that they need to get off the island. They usually need to get thereby air ambulance and that’s what we do. They basically tell us where to take them. I would say the majority of people – if they are government workers – are going to Barbados or Trinidad. Others are travelling to Puerto Rico; somebody has gone to Panama, and some persons have gone to Miami and St. Thomas.
“We have done over eighteen flights in the last year and altogether we have made about thirty-five flights. The aircraft or airline depends on what the client needs. If there is a need for a full-service jet with a doctor, nurse, EMT, and all the other facilities, we usually bring in one fromPuerto Rico. If a patient is not in a critical situation, but has to fly, we might use Avery Thomas [of Anguilla Air Services] as he also has air ambulance capabilities. It is better forAnguilla, and him, and we will use him instead as may be the case. If necessary, we will bring in jets fromSt. Thomas, depending on what is available and what are the requirements of the patients.”
Asked how MASA’s business was progressing in Anguilla, Mr. Curtis replied: “It’s been excellent. I think people have understood the need for the service and they appreciate what we do and how we do it. We had a contract with the Government of Anguilla. They were paying for all of their civil servants but then …decided they couldn’t actually pay for all their employees. So they only do very few – some pensioners and others. But a lot of people have transferred over to us, paying privately for the service by making their own monthly deductions. I would say that we have eighty per cent of people who have transferred. I believe we have over three thousand clients including families.”
Mr. Curtis said MASA was happy to be involved in health promotion activities in Anguilla. “We are big sponsors of the clinics that the Health Authority holds throughout the year,” he said in the interview. “Last year we did four: one each at the hospital, The Valley; at National Bank at West End; and we just finished the clinic for Health Awareness Week. We pay for anyone doing tests for blood sugar and blood pressure, but the health workers also send persons to the hospital for tests for prostate issues, HIV and cholesterol. We are very proud of our work. We think we do an excellent job. The last health fair we had,over one hundred and thirty people showed up and were tested; and we sent a number of them directly to the hospital.”
Mr.Curtiis added: “We know people are struggling and health is not something you can afford to ignore.”
