The Ministry of Health has boosted the fleet of ambulances with an additional 38 to boost emergency medical services in the country. The Permanent Secretary Dr. Diana Atwine will on Wednesday 11th December received the first batch of 15 ambulances that were purchased using the funds appropriated by government under the COVID-19 supplementary budget.
The Second batch of 18 ambulances is also on it’s way from Mombasa. The third batch of 5 ambulances is type C (2 road Intensive Care ambulances and and 3 water boat ambulances) will arrive first week of December.
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Health, Emmanuel Ainebyona says the ambulances will go a long way in supporting easier rescue and transportation of patients from their homes to hospitals and will save on the mortality. ‘ We believe the ambulances come at the right time when the COVID-19 pandemic is worrying our communities and placing many citizens at risk. We needed to be ready to save lives in this period. These ambulances are coming at the right time’ Ainebyona said.
The ambulances are expected to be placed at regional Call and dispatch centres to enable quick and timely evacuations of patients in-need of EMS services. Earlier, the government purchased 10 ambulances for Red Cross to be able to respond to all medical emergency needs along the major highways in Uganda.
The use of Ambulances
Road ambulances are used when transfer distances are short in high-density populations or when adverse weather prevents helicopter transport. Trips of 30 minutes one way, even up to 60 minutes in less densely populated areas, are preferable. Beyond 1 hour, ambulances become uncomfortable, and long trips may inappropriately deprive a local area of its EMS vehicle for a considerable period of time. This period includes the time taken to unload and return; if prolonged, it is unjustified if an alternative such as a helicopter is available.
There are many situations that call for immediate or drastic medical responses or otherwise a person’s condition worsens. The ambulance service is essential in every society, in saving lives and provision of services that prevent occurrences of irreversible medical complications. Many ambulances operate from designated points like hospitals and other emergency control centers.
Some of the uses of such services include quick treatment and stabilization of casualties that lead to prevention of any mishap before getting to the hospitals. The provision of immediate and effective medical care can save a life or two and at times, it may lead to prevention of serious medical complications that may result from the emergencies that the patients are involved in. The medical crew and other persons on board get first-aid training. This makes them able to deal with situations like profuse bleeding, cardiac arrests, falls or crush injuries, among others.
The ambulances also facilitate the transportation of patients from a scene of accident to the hospital. This provides for the patients getting better and enhanced medical care that may be deemed necessary at that time. Ambulance services are also useful in the transferring of patients from one medical institution to may be a more advanced institution for more advanced treatment. Still on the transportation, the services are useful if a patient needs to be transported over long distances.
Another importance of ambulances is that they help in the provision of medical services to areas that may have been hit by disease out breaks or other serious health hazards. Another situation where these services are useful is the war zones. People get injured in war and so treatment and medical care is called for. Ambulance services can also be used in the evacuation of the injured from disaster stricken areas.
More information is available on aircriticalcare.com. They offer information on finding an air ambulance, including air ambulance transportation
