The public express dissatisfaction with ambulatory services.
Eleven-year-old Reda Sayyed Seoudi died after he had been run over by a car on the Ring Road because the ambulance refused to take him. His family could not pay the LE40 fee to have the boy taken to the nearest hospital.
Dr Yasser Abdul Hamid, vice chairman of the First Aid Authority, denies that he had received no complaint regarding ambulance services on the highways. "Ambulance crews are well paid because they often work far from their homes," Abdul Hamid said, adding that his agency was faced with several problems, starting with the control room that deals with emergency calls. Control room manager Wagih Abdul Salam said that out of the12,000 reports they receive a day, only 400 are genuine. "To ensure that the report is correct, the caller is asked for his telephone number, then a crew goes to the scene of the accident," Abdul Salam told the local newspaper Al-Massa'iya. Back to Abdul Hamid, who said the roads in and out of the city are always overcrowded, which delays ambulances. "Other road users should pull over to let ambulances through in an emergency," Abdul Hamid said.He also pointed out that there was a shortage of doctors, paramedics and drivers for 30 ambulances that operate on the nation's highways. "Most drivers work on a casual basis. If one is absent, this means that an ambulance is off the roster," he said. The most serious problem, says Abdul Hamid, is that some hospitals refuse to take patients due to a shortage of beds. The ambulance has to 'ask around' until the patient can be accommodated.Dr Mohssen el-Seissy, who is in charge of First Aid Authority's doctors, said they had only 48 physicians, whereas at least 150 are needed. "Ambulance maintenance is very important," says Essam Eddin Antar, who is responsible for maintenance department.Dr Abdul Hamid said ambulances move the injured from accidents, take out-patients from their homes to hospital and move doctors to where the patients are. Ambulances are also on stand-by at big events like soccer matches.However, ambulance services in coastal resorts are different. A mother lost her two sons who were injured in a road accident because the paramedics wanted to establish whether if the children were foreigners or Egyptians.Usama Ramadan, a tour guide in Red Sea Governorate, said foreign visitors had "first call" on ambulance services. When asked about this, governorate officials were unable to give an explanation.
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I have also heard that the ambulances here do not have any medical equipment inside due to it contstantly being stolen. They are really just a transport vehicle. Is this true ?
Posts: 77 | From: Cairo Egypt | Registered: Feb 2007
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