Dear Editor:

On January 2, I became a “trapped soul,” created by the loss of our St. Andrews Hospital.

The last time I was in an ambulance was 1953 when I was a lieutenant in the Mount Vernon Fire Department Rescue Squad in Alexandria, Va. That 61-year-long standing record was abruptly ended when I had an attack created by a reaction to prescribed medication.

My brother, who was visiting and is retired from a 41-year career as an RN, suggested I be taken to the hospital for treatment. Our Boothbay Region Ambulance was called and arrived in about 15 minutes, the destination LincolnHealth Miles Campus Emergency Department. The EMS personnel were professionals in all respects and I thank them for their timely and outstanding service.

The staff at Miles were also very thorough and impressed me as a first time patient there.

It is apparent that LincolnHealth has failed the senior citizens of the Boothbay region in yet another way when they surreptitiously stole our St. Andrews Hospital. Why? Another adverse ripple effect has already surfaced.

Since I arrived by ambulance and was discharged at 1:52 a.m. to return home, and my wife no longer drives, I asked for the phone numbers of Damariscotta taxis and was told, “Damariscotta has no taxi service”; no worries! I called the Boothbay Harbor Police non-emergency line to see if they could give me the phone numbers for the Boothbay Harbor taxis. The lady who answered was very pleasant and provided me the phone numbers. No luck reaching either of the taxis. With that, I was a “trapped soul” as I said in the beginning.

Thanks to the emergency department staff, I was allowed to remain in an examining room on a comfortable examining gurney for more than four hours until daylight. I finally called a neighbor friend who willingly came to retrieve me from my predicament.

There are a lot of senior citizens who live alone or have no way to return from Miles Hospital to the Boothbay area when transported by ambulance. I was just one, of which will prove to be many; how many senior citizens and others will this affect?

Bill Wilson
East Boothbay