Virgin Islands government says Pafford Medical Services will discontinue territory operations

The Virgin Islands government said on August 8, 2024, that Pafford Medical Services had decided to discontinue its emergency medical service operations in the territory.

The government said Pafford had been contracted after Hurricanes Irma and Maria and during the COVID-19 pandemic to bolster emergency response capacity. It said the arrangement had been intended as a temporary measure during disaster recovery and the public-health emergency.

According to the statement, federal funding that supported Pafford’s services had been exhausted, leaving the cost to local government funds, which the government said could not sustain the expense on a permanent basis.

The government said agencies that used Pafford’s services had established contingency plans or separate contractual agreements with the company to maintain emergency medical services during the transition.

The statement also said the government was working to address arrears owed to Pafford and would consider the company for future contracts as needed, depending on available funding.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/statement-from-the-government-of-the-virgin-islands-on-pafford-medical-services-decision-to-discontinue-service-in-the-territory/