Paramedics are a different breed all right. In many cases they could make that crucial difference between life and death.
For hundreds of them, responding to traffic-related medical emergencies in Dubai remains the biggest challenge. And their task gets even more daunting with the surge in road accidents.
Road accidents
Latest statistics from the Dubai Police Traffic Department reveal that 79 people were killed in road accidents in the first quarter of this year compared with 65 people during the same period last year. A total of 25 people died in road accidents between March 2 and July 13 this year.
Last year, paramedics responded to 62,000 calls and the figure has already crossed the 30,000 mark so far this year. Last year, they transported 50,000 patients to hospitals.
Given the huge responsibility on their shoulders, XPRESS decided to go and see for itself what makes the organisation and its staff tick. We tagged along with a team of paramedics from the Al Qusais station as they responded to an accident.
Though it was just 9.45am, Akram Mohsin Ahmad had already received his fourth emergency call of the day – this time it was an accident on Emirates Road.
The 26-year-old ambulance driver and his team of two paramedics and two trainers had been up since 5.30am, saving lives in Al Qusais, their designated area of responsibility.
Short-lived break
Moments before the fourth call, Ahmad and his team head to the Civil Defence station. But the break lasts barely four minutes.
A call from the control room and the team swings into action.
Ahmad runs to his vehicle, throws his half-eaten snack into the car and switches on the siren. "It's a roll-over accident on Emirates Road," he says.
Another ambulance unit also heads off to the site.
Within the next minute, the vehicle breaks two red signals. As it approaches Emirates Road, Ahmad sees a pile-up of cars.
As he drives through the yellow line, he spots a man sitting on the road with his hands on his head, blood trickling down his sleeves.
A rolled-over water tanker blocks the road, glass pieces and water scattered all over the place.
"This man is in shock," says Larry Montescuaros, 35, a paramedic, as he rushes him to the ambulance. Scissors are pulled out and the Pakistani driver's sleeve is cut off, "We need access to the wounds," says Roy George, 25, another paramedic.
In the next 10 minutes, the paramedics stop the bleeding, bandage the wounds, give the driver neck support, while settling him down on a stretcher.
Ahmad switches on his siren and heads to the Rashid Hospital Trauma Centre. "If the hospital is far, paramedics can even call for an air ambulance," he reveals.
He said that although they are immune to the blood and gore, it does take a toll on them.
Ahmad says, "Sometimes it takes a month or two to forget, but there is no place for emotions."
Emad Al Suwaidi, an Emirati paramedic, says, "We talk about it and that's how we deal with it."
Steps to safety
- Step 1: Dial 999
- Step 2: Operator will assess if it's a medical or police request
- Step 3: Control office deploys either police and/or ambulance
- Step 4: Units will investigate the site or incident
In case of cardiac or other medical emergencies:
- Step 1: Dial 999, or
- Step 2: Call 04-609 5777. The paramedics will stay online and guide you until ambulance arrives
Fees
- Government hospital: Free
- Private hospital: Dh300
Ceo-speak: ‘We must plan for the future'
Ten new ambulances will hit the roads of Dubai next year, to keep up with the growth in population and new projects, said a senior official.
"We have 54 ambulances serving Dubai's city and rural areas. But we need to ensure we keep up with the rapid developments," said Khalifa Al Darrai, Executive Director, Centre of Ambulance Service, Dubai.
In addition, three of the longest ambulance buses in the world (18-20 metres) will be shipped from Germany by September this year.
The number of paramedics at airport terminals will increase substantially to deal with the jump in tourists. Globally, for every 100,000 inhabitants, one ambulance vehicle is required and Al Darrai said Dubai is meeting this requirement. "We have to plan for the future, keeping in mind the city's needs."
To deal with inaccessibility of sandy areas, he said the ambulance centre has specially-designed SUVs to act as first responders. In addition, Dubai also has four motorbike ambulances to cut through congested areas of Bur Dubai and Naif Souq, said Al Darrai.
He said the control room receives 60-120 calls per day on an average.
According to him, previously, for almost ten years, Al Ittihad Road was the accident black spot, "but now with new highways such as the Emirates Road, Shaikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road, accidents occur everywhere".
Your comments
If the govt provide more ambulance substations near accident-prone areas or major interchanges, they can act swiftly in case of emergencies. This will help in saving a lot of life.
Ataur, UAE - Dubai
Posted: August 07, 2008, 09:28
