Abu Dhabi: The dedicated 998 emergency number for the National Ambulance has been reactivated on orders from Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior.
As of today (Monday), all calls from the northern emirates will be directed to the National Ambulance Communications Centre, thus reducing the time it takes to dispatch an ambulance. The reactivation comes after an extensive three-month testing phase overseen by the Ministry of Interior.
Speaking about the initiative the undersecretary of the ministry, Lt Gen Saif Abdullah Al Sha’far, said: “National Ambulance has demonstrated it has the ability, skill set and technology infrastructure to deliver this great responsibility.”
Citizens who call 998 from the northern emirates will now be able to speak directly to the National Ambulance Communications Centre. Ambulances are dispatched according to the severity of the case in line with international standards for achieving best patient outcomes. Trained staff in the Communications Centre are able to provide first aid advice and clinical instructions to callers, enabling them to carry out immediate, potentially life-saving action. The staff are also bi-lingual and have experience in dealing with a wide range of incidents.
Ahmad Saleh Al Hajeri, Deputy CEO of National Ambulance, stressed that false or hoax calls to 998 have a significant impact on service response times, potentially endangering lives.
“This is a valuable and precious resource provided by the government for all citizens and residents. Therefore, it is important that it is used for its intended purpose only. False calls can tie up operators and prevent our team arriving quickly to render assistance. All calls are recorded, including the originating number. Misuse or abuse of the 998 number will be reported and corrective action instigated by the ministry.”
