The Ambulance Service at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) handled 382 calls for medical help and assistance during the National Sport Day last Tuesday when a total of 113 vehicles were in service. Ali Darwish, assistant executive director of the Ambulance Service at HMC told local Arabic daily 'Arrayah' that 192 calls were classified as urgent cases.
A call being classified as urgent does not mean they are about serious accidents or injuries. The main objective is to deliver the best and speedy service. But when the ambulance reaches the location, most cases turn out to be stable. The distribution of the ambulance vehicles across the country was according to the concentration of people expected at such areas, especially at the parks, and public gardens and other open areas where all sport activities were organised in line with the preventive and precautionary measures against Covid-19. In addition, special attention was paid to the different beaches of the country due to the great popular turnout.
Darwish said that the ambulance vehicles deployed during the National Sport Day included 95 to transport patients, 11 for paramedics supervisors, and seven for critical cases, making up a total of 113 vehicles. In addition, 15 bicycle mounted paramedics were distributed across the pedestrian focused areas where vehicle access would be difficult. Further, two golf carts were used and the helicopter ambulance was operational whenever necessary. He explained that the target time to reach a patient is less than 10 minutes inside Doha and within 15 minutes outside Doha to take the case to the nearest health facility if necessary after providing the needed first aid on the spot.
