DOHA: With an increase in all terrain vehicle (ATV) accidents in the dunes, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has stepped up its Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in desert areas.
Four new Toyota Landcruiser GX vehicles have been pressed into service in desert areas to rescue people in case of an emergency. Vehicles are stationed at the ambulance service base in Sealine and Al Udeid.
The vehicles are mainly used to transport injured people from sand dunes to the nearest tarmac road where they will be met by one of the ambulances. This unit will prepare a landing site for Lifeflight, the helicopter ambulance service.
The Ambulance Service receives 321 calls on an average every day and 176 of them involve critical cases. The number of calls increases by 10 percent each year and majority of the cases are road accidents and trauma emergencies, officials said yesterday on the sidelines of an ambulance service simulation held at the Mushara dunes, near the Sealine.
The service is preparing to launch a computer-assisted method called Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) to send ambulances to the right location. This method would help find the location of a caller who is unable to give correct directions.
“There is a 10 percent increase every year in calls we receive for ambulance service,” said Chaker Khenissi, Operation Manager, Ambulance Service, HMC, yesterday.
“We are planning to introduce the CAD service to locate a caller if he is unable to give correct directions. This would help us reach the patient within a short time,” he added.
The ambulance service is also coordinating with Lekhwiya and Southern Police to enhance their service, said Rashid Andaila, Public Relations Manager, Ambulance Service.
Andaila said, “Often an emergency in the desert can be a serious trauma where every second counts. That is why the 4x4 vehicles are so important. They can get to the scene quickly and safely and then arrange for the patient to be transferred to the National Trauma Centre at Hamad General Hospital.”
The Peninsula
