Dubai: The Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services (DCAS) has rolled out a child-friendly ambulance car that has been specifically designed to reduce anxiety that children face when receiving treatment.
The vehicle, called the Happiness Ambulance, is one of the innovations launched by the DCAS to dispel children’s fears of ambulance cars and emergency equipment, an official told Gulf News during the Dubai International Government Achievements Exhibition (DIGAE), which is showcasing all new and ongoing innovations by all Government of Dubai departments and international governments.
The ambulance car, on display at the DCAS stand, functions like an ordinary ambulance car, except that its interior has been designed to help relax the young patient on the way to the hospital.
Equipped with an iPad, Play Station, and TV, among other medical equipment, these features are meant to keep the child’s mind off their injury and eliminate their fears relating to ambulance cars, Fahad Al Saadi, emergency medical technician (EMT) at DCAS said.
“The happiness ambulance is a child-friendly vehicle that is mainly being used during awareness activities for children, where they get introduced to first aid and experience what it is like to be inside an ambulance car,” he said.
“The colourful light green exterior and kid-friendly interior walls and games is what helps keep the child calm, he said.
“Children are usually terrified of ambulance cars, but when they see this happy vehicle and they sit in a fun environment, they no longer think of ambulance cars the same way anymore.”
Al Saadi said the ambulance can be dispatched when a child has anxiety from a regular ambulance car and refuses to get into it. “It’s also used as a standby ambulance during events, where children get treated for minor injuries.”
The vehicle was launched two weeks ago and is the first one for the DCAS, he added. “Our objective was to create a happy and comfortable environment for a child.”
Another innovation being showcased at the DCAS was also created to make children more comfortable around ambulance cars and when learning about first-aid.
The remote-controlled ambulance car with a camel toy as its driver can attract any child’s attention, said Eisa Al Ghafari, director of Cooperation Support Department at DCAS.
“This technology was created to prepare children to learn about first-aid,” he said. “When a child is approached with the first aid kit, they might feel uncomfortable and not pay enough attention. But when they see a moving and talking toy, they will always remember the colours of the ambulance car, the logo, and will not be afraid of the ambulance car.”
Al Ghafari said the toy aroused many children’s curiosity when they held training workshops at schools for children. “This year, we focused on innovating things for children so they don’t have to experience two shocks, the first being if they get injured and the second when they hear sirens and see medics,” he said.
