By LAURA CRIMALDI
The Boston Herald
Copyright 2006 Boston Herald Inc.
A day after a heart attack victim died en route to the emergency room from Logan International Airport, Boston EMS officials insisted it’s still safe for ambulances to deliver patients to Hub hospitals from East Boston.
“Even if they are in traffic, a lot of hospitals in Boston are world class. We’d rather deliver them in Boston,” said Boston EMS Superintendent James Hooley.
Ambulances leaving East Boston will continue to deliver patients to Boston Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Tufts-New England Medical Center and Children’s Hospital unless a patient in stable condition requests otherwise, Hooley said.
The closest emergency room to East Boston outside the Hub is at Whidden Memorial Hospital in Everett. Hooley did not rule out using a helicopter to transport patients, an option that is used on the Boston Harbor Islands.
“If there’s a major incident, like a crash at the airport, we need to get the emergency vehicles to East Boston,” said City Councilor Salvatore LaMattina, who represents East Boston. “EMS knows there’s different routes out of East Boston. But a lot of those roadways are still impacted. There’s a lot going to Revere and Chelsea from people who are looking for alternates.”
Richard Walsh, a Massport spokesman, said no changes have been made to emergency response protocols designed to respond to an airplane disaster at Logan.