Honolulu Emergency Services Department says it responded to emergency in 12 minutes
The Honolulu Emergency Services Department shared details on the incident that prompted a newly amended Senate bill that is now known as Keo’s Law.
On Thursday, Patty Kahanamoku-Teruya of Nanakuli, who lost her son, Keo Aiwohi, to cardiac arrest Feb. 15, testified before the state Legislature’s House Health Committee that there was a long wait before the ambulance arrived and that she felt it made more sense to transport him to a nearby hospital instead of one in Ewa Beach.
She said the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Center was about five minutes away, while the Queen’s Medical Center West in Ewa Beach, where her son was transported, was much farther.
Honolulu Emergency Services Department Director Jim Howe shared the timeline of events on Feb. 15.
A 911 call came in at 11:13 a.m. Feb. 15, and an ambulance arrived on scene at Hakimo Road in Nanakuli at 11:25 a.m., which was 12 minutes after the call came in. Honolulu EMS, the state’s contracted provider for Oahu, treated the patient on scene and departed at 11:50 a.m.
Honolulu EMS took the patient to the closest and most appropriate hospital, with an arrival time of 12:23 p.m., according to Howe. On the way to the emergency room, paramedics resuscitated the patient. No mechanical problems occurred during the transport.
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“Honolulu EMS operates in due regard to traffic laws and prevailing traffic conditions,” said Howe in a statement. “We understand that during medical emergencies involving loved ones it is always very difficult for the families involved. The Honolulu Emergency Services Department is working collaboratively with the state Department of Health EMS branch to ensure that the EMS system is meeting the emergency medical needs of the community.”
Senate Bill 281, which passed out of the health committee, appropriates funds for the increased costs of providing emergency medical services. As Keo’s Law it also calls for a comprehensive, independent review of the emergency medical services system statewide, which has not been done since 1991. The bill is now expected to be heard by the finance committee.
