Dubai: Hospitals and medical training centres in Dubai have until the end of August to register with the government ambulance services as authorities seek to ensure the highest standard of ambulance services for residents.
Dr Fahd Al Zarouni, head of regulation at Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services (DCAS), said that the number of cases requiring the dispatch of ambulances had increased by 17.6 per cent last year, making it imperative for all health care centres with ambulances to register with the authority before the August 31 deadline. Health facilities that fail to register with the DCAS will not be authorised to operate.
According to statistics revealed yesterday by DCAS, the number of cases requiring ambulance dispatch in the period from January to June increased from 42,452 in 2011 to 51,562 in 2012.
“If health care centres are unable to pass the requirements needed in the registration process, they will be offered a six-month grace period so that they have enough time to make the necessary changes,” Dr Al Zarouni added.
Out of all the areas in Dubai, ambulances were most frequently dispatched to Deira, which witnessed 19,236 recorded cases, followed by Bur Dubai with 18,725 cases. March was reported to have been the busiest month for ambulance crews during the first half of 2012 while Thursday is the busiest day and the afternoon shift is the most hectic.
The majority of cases attended involved men, who accounted for 64.3 per cent of patients, while the most susceptible age group requiring emergency assistance were between the ages of 21 and 30.
Dr Al Zarouni stressed that a section of the registration criteria clearly state that health care professionals should, among other criteria, not have a police record of misconduct.
Health care professionals and facilities will face a fine of Dh1,000 if they fail to adhere to criteria set by the authority, which is based on international standards such as in the UK and the US. Repeat offences will see the penalty going up to Dh2,000.
