To the editor:

If you were at the recent town hall, you heard this subject mentioned prominently. We don’t have 24/7 emergency care on the island!

We have 12-hour care. Harrison Bainbridge is closed from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Emergencies have to be transported to Harrison Bremerton, a distance of at least 33 miles!

Ferry service stops for four hours in the middle of the night, and, indeed, even when there is ferry service, it takes at least an hour to get a patient from the terminal to an emergency room in Seattle.

Finally, a helicopter technician tells me that not all types of helicopters can land in all types of weather.

This situation leaves us all vulnerable!

How can we get CHI Franciscan to keep Harrison open 24/7. How can 24/7 staffing be paid for?

RUTH URBACH

Bainbridge Island