A GRIEVING Turf Lodge family have started an awareness campaign about parking in the area after an ambulance battled to gain entry to their street to treat a dying loved one.
In August, Philomena Donnelly (51) suffered cardiac arrest at her Monagh Crescent home, with husband Damien frantically performing CPR as he waited for the ambulance to arrive. Despite his desperate attempts to save her life, Philomena sadly passed away later in hospital.
After speaking to paramedics, Damien learnt that the ambulance had difficulties accessing the street due to parked cars and other obstructions which may have been a contributing factor in Philomena's passing. Turf Lodge residents have been complaining for years that the estate was never designed with the car in mind.
Recalling the tragic events, Damien told the Andersonstown News: "My wife suffered a cardiac arrest. Our 12-year-old son was upstairs and called me straight away. I started CPR and called the emergency services. The ambulance arrived about 12 minutes later and took over.
"I remember being on the phone doing the CPR and they kept telling me don’t stop because every second counts.
"I could hear the sirens and knew the ambulance was coming but it was a while before the paramedics came up the stairs. She was then transported to hospital in the ambulance but sadly passed away.
The Donnelly family have started a campaign to raise awareness
"One of the paramedics raised the issue to me of their difficulty in getting into the street with the amount of parked cars and obstructions. They told me it may or may not have been a factor.
"It was a Friday night about 9.30pm and in the evenings this place is packed with cars parked on every square inch. If the street was clear, would the outcome have been different? We will never know.
"It is not just an issue in Turf Lodge but in other areas too. The paramedic told me they experience delays in attending emergency calls due to parked cars, cars parked inappropriately or blocking areas."
Following Philomena's death, the family have started an awareness campaign over parking in the area.
"The support has been fantastic," added daughter Aimee. "It seems many residents share our concerns about parking throughout Turf Lodge. Some residents have raised concerns about carers coming and cannot get parked anywhere near the house they are going to.
"We just want to make people aware and ask them to think twice about where they are parking their car. The infrastructure needs improved massively in the area which could help widen the streets."
SDLP councillor Paul Doherty has been working with the Donnelly family to push for environmental improvements in the area.
"Turf Lodge has been plagued with congestion and parking issues for decades now," he explained. "As someone from this area, it is clear to me that the infrastructure here is outdated and not fit for purpose. As a result, people are forced to park in areas which is causing frustration and serious issues for residents. Something has to change.
Stoned slopes throughout Turf Lodge could be removed to widen the streets
"I have been contacted by residents who have been blocked into their homes and unable to get to work; care nurses having to park some distance away from patients; and more seriously, I have been speaking with the Donnelly family who sadly lost their mother recently and experienced an issue of an ambulance struggling to get up the street to provide assistance.
"No family should ever end up in the position that they have gone through, losing their wife and mother and wondering if this could have been prevented had paramedics been able to reach her sooner.
"Working alongside the family and residents, it is our aim to ensure that these tragic circumstances never happens again to another family. If someone in this community needs emergency help, those vehicles must be able to reach those at risk – be it an ambulance or the Fire Service. Every second counts in these situations.
"We have delivered letters to residents in order to create awareness around the dangers of parking in certain areas such as street corners, but this is only a short-term solution.
"I have written to both the Department for Infrastructure and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, urging them to seek longer term solutions for these problems which could include the department installing double yellow lines or making adaptions including the potential of widening roads by removing the stoned slopes which have existed in this area since it was built.
"The people of Turf Lodge have had enough. We need an urgent review of the infrastructure in this area and immediate action to ensure the safety of everyone that lives here."
Asked about difficulties ambulances face in relation to access, a Northern Ireland Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "Whilst responding to calls, ambulance crews can experience a range of issues which can impact on our response times.
"These can include (but are not restricted to) traffic congestion, road closures, poor weather conditions, pedestrian activity, lack of house numbers etc.
"Such issues do not just impact our emergency responses, but can also impact our non-emergency ambulance service.
"Where potential for disruption to the road network is known off in advance, we receive notification from partner agencies eg DFI Roads, PSNI etc. which is shared with our Control Rooms and Operational Staff."
We would like thank the public for their consideration and support when encountering ambulance crews who are responding under emergency conditions ie blue lights and sirens. In such circumstances, time is of the utmost importance but equally, the safety of our staff and all road users is paramount.
