Officials at the launch of ‘Know the 5 to save a life’ national awareness campaign. Pic: Baher Amin / The Peninsula
DOHA: In an effort to raise awareness among the community about the necessary guidelines that must be followed in emergency situations, Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Ambulance Service yesterday relaunched its ‘Know the 5 to save a life’ national campaign.
It aims at educating the public about key actions to take when calling an ambulance in an emergency situation.
The campaign highlights five ways in which people can help the service provide fast and effective care. The campaign ‘Know the 5 to save a life’ messages are in case of an emergency, dial 999 immediately, know your location, answer all questions asked, follow all instructions given and give way to ambulances on roadways.
The campaign previously ran in 2013 and is being rerun reinforce the key messages and educate new residents.
“Qatar’s population has grown significantly and this has led to increased demand on our Ambulance Service. In 2013 we have received 132, 000 calls and it increased to 250,000 in 2017. In the first five months of this year we have seen an increase of eight percent from 2017 in the number of calls.
“By re-running this campaign, we aim to reinforce the key messages educate new residents in Qatar,” said Brendon Morris, Executive Director, Ambulance Service during a press conference held to relaunch the campaign.
“In order for us to be able to provide the best possible support as quickly as possible, it is important that members of the public follow the campaign’s five key steps,” he added.
Explaining the campaign’s key messages, Morris also said that as time is a critical factor when it comes to responding to medical emergencies, and it is therefore important that people dial 999 immediately so that we can send our teams to help as quickly as possible.
“Before sending a response team the ambulance dispatcher must first know where to send them, so it is essential that people know their location and are able to quickly and accurately describe this.
“When at home, the easiest way to give your location is to provide the details on the building number plate, which is usually fixed to the exterior of the building. Other ways to provide an accurate location are street names or prominent landmarks,” said Morris.
During the 999 call, the ambulance dispatcher needs to gain a clear understanding of the emergency so that the correct response team can be sent. The Ambulance Service has a diverse fleet of specialist response units which are able to respond quickly and effectively to a wide range of incidents in various locations.
Ali Darwish, Assistant Executive Director, Ambulance Service, Faleh Al Hajiri, Senior Production Manager Fleet, Ambulance Service and Abdulaziz Alyafei, Assistant Executive Director National Command Centre were also present at the press conference.
It is important that the caller stays on the line even after the most appropriate response team has been sent and that they follow the instructions of the ambulance dispatcher, said Darwish.
The final message of the ‘Know the 5 to save a life’ campaign stresses the importance of drivers giving way to ambulances on the road. “When an ambulance is on its way to an emergency incident it will have its flashing lights and siren on.
“When drivers see an ambulance approaching in their rear view mirror, or from the side, they should move over to the side of the road to let the ambulance pass. Every second counts in the most serious medical emergencies and we are asking drivers to help our ambulances pass through traffic as quickly as possible,” said Darwish.
The campaign messaging will be promoted over the coming months via a range of channels, including social media, newspapers, roadside advertising and in shopping malls.
