Medical Evacuation for Injured Senior Sergeant Benjamin Now "Awaiting Only the Aircraft" After Police Welfare Association Pushes Authorities to Act

Arrangements to medically evacuate Senior Sergeant Jeffery Benjamin to Trinidad and Tobago for specialised treatment are now in place, with the Police Welfare Association confirming that the process is awaiting only confirmation of an aircraft — a breakthrough that comes after nearly 100 officers staged a sit-in at police headquarters demanding action earlier this week.

"Everything Is in Place"

PWA Chairman Virlica Chatham said all necessary documentation, authorisation, and confirmation have been secured. "We are just awaiting the itinerary. Everything is in place, just awaiting the aircraft," she said.

Benjamin will be flown to Southern Medical Services in Trinidad and Tobago, where he is scheduled to undergo specialised treatment for the severe injuries to his right leg sustained when a Mack truck ran over him on Valley Road on July 4. Officers have expressed fears that he could lose the limb without urgent overseas medical intervention.

Delays Overcome After Direct Pressure

The confirmation that the evacuation is proceeding follows days of pressure from the PWA and rank-and-file officers who accused authorities of stalling Benjamin's treatment. Chatham had earlier criticised the delay, saying the treating institution had initially declined to proceed without a full itemised quotation — a holdup she attributed to unclear insurance coverage information for police officers.

The PWA engaged directly with senior leaders to press the urgency of the case. "We spoke to leaders, telling them this is what we wanna get done in a short time," Chatham said.

Chatham said the association is satisfied that it did everything in its power to secure the arrangements on Benjamin's behalf. "We are satisfied that we did everything in our power to get all the documentation, the authorisation, the confirmation, and everything in place," she said. "It is just the officer's response. At the end of the day, this can happen to anyone."

A Dedicated Officer of Nearly 30 Years

Benjamin, who has served in the Royal Police Force for almost three decades, was described by Inspector Findlay as a dedicated officer who "goes beyond the call of duty" — a characterisation that resonated deeply with the nearly 100 colleagues who gathered at headquarters on Thursday morning to demand the government act with the same urgency for one of their own that it has demonstrated for others.

The sit-in had drawn pointed attention to what officers perceived as a disparity in how medical emergencies are handled depending on who the patient is — citing the case of a former Member of Parliament who was provided with air ambulance services for a condition that ultimately proved to be far less serious than initially feared.

The question of how quickly the aircraft can be confirmed — and how quickly Benjamin can be in the hands of specialist surgeons in Trinidad — is now the only remaining variable. For a 30-year veteran whose leg hangs in the balance, every hour matters.