Medical Emergency Department handles 342 urgent cases daily

• Emergency medical technicians and various employees in the administration are heroes who work 24 hours a day on the streets, in various climates and circumstances, said Abdullah Al-Nafees, the head of Medical Emergency Department’s operations department.

• The average time for an ambulance to arrive at the reporting site does not exceed 15 minutes. Efforts are underway to reduce this average to eight minutes.

“And whoever saves a life it is as though he had saved the lives of all mankind.” Based on this noble verse, emergency medical department technicians continue to fulfill their lofty mission, saving lives in various times and circumstances. This was emphasized by Abdullah Al-Nafees, the head of Medical Emergency Department’s operations department.

Al-Nafees pointed out during the breakfast for emergency medical personnel, in the presence of Al-Rai newspaper, that emergency medical technicians and various employees in the administration are heroes who work 24 hours a day on the streets, in various climates and circumstances.

As an indication of the continuous efforts of management personnel, Al-Nafees explained that the operations department works 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including during the month of Ramadan, as well as on various occasions and public holidays.

He stated that the Medical Emergency Department dealt with 6,840 urgent reports from the first to the 20th of Ramadan, averaging 342 urgent reports daily. This included 5,200 cases transferred to hospitals, while 1,640 cases were treated on-site, and 2,740 non-urgent cases were handled during the same period.

Types of cases

He explained that during Ramadan, the department primarily deals with cases such as low blood sugar or blood pressure among the elderly, or incidents occurring in the morning due to stress and fasting. Additionally, they receive reports from locations such as the sea, sports facilities, and road accidents, especially shortly before breakfast, typically ranging from five to ten minutes.

Al-Nafees stressed that medical heroes continue their lofty mission of saving lives around the clock, including during breakfast time.

He said, “As you saw in Al-Rai newspaper, the number of reports dealt with during breakfast time and how the workload is distributed among the workers in the operating room. In fact, if there is pressure due to the number of reports, there is nothing wrong with an emergency technician interrupting their meal to respond to a report. This is a source of pride for us.”

Report response rate

He explained that the average time for an ambulance to arrive at the reporting site does not exceed 15 minutes. Efforts are underway to reduce this average to eight minutes. He emphasized the necessity of clearing the way for the ambulance and facilitating its movement because “one second makes a difference in the life of the injured person.”

He added, “While I am at home eating and staying safe, they are on the street working in various conditions and atmospheres, dealing with heat, cold, humidity, and dust.”

Improving emergency medical technicians.

Regarding raising the level of emergency medical technicians, Al-Nafees confirmed the existence of a training center that operates 12 to 16 hours a day. This center conducts courses, provides lectures, and offers field training to qualify the largest possible number, including the general community. He emphasized that their goal is “to produce a paramedic in every home, apartment, farm, or chalet.”

Al-Nafees added, “Emergency medical personnel also work to spread the culture of first aid in any forum they are in, whether at exhibitions or conferences, because first aid may be needed by a person everywhere, on land and sea, during travel, and even inside the plane.”

79 new ambulances launched

Regarding the latest additions to medical emergencies, Al-Nafees pointed out that 79 new ambulances were recently launched, including ten cars for border and off-road areas, which can also reach marine areas to some extent. He noted that this type of car was not previously available.

Air evacuation

Al-Nafees pointed out that helicopter ambulances’ have been operational for over ten years, allowing them to reach all cases in land, sea, and border areas, as well as facilitate air evacuation cases promptly.

Serving four million people

Al-Nafees explained that department handled more than four million people served by over 76 ambulance centers. Additionally, emergency personnel are present at various events, including national holidays, stadiums, halls, horse races, on land during the winter season, and at all other events.

Emergency services during ‘Nation 2024’ elections

Al-Nafees pointed out that during the ‘Nation 2024’ elections, the medical emergency provided 25 ambulances and 657 emergency technicians, who were distributed among 118 subcommittees and five main centers to work in three shifts.