Bahraini.TV

Ambulances will now be dispatched immediately from the Salmaniya Medical Complex to attend to emergency cases, without necessarily waiting for the exact location to be confirmed, it was revealed yesterday.

New guidelines will ensure that emergency medical aid is sent “within seconds” to the “approximate” location even though the exact location has not been confirmed, said Accident and Emergency Department chairman, Dr Jassim Al Mehza.

This came at the conclusion of a five-day investigation held by the Health Ministry into why an ambulance allegedly took more than three hours to reach a dying Indian woman near the KIMS Bahrain Medical Centre in Um Al Hassam, on July 31.

The woman, aged between 35 and 40, from Andhra Pradesh state, was later identified as Nalli Mariamma.

“No single person has been held responsible for what happened,” said Dr Al Mehza.

“We have concluded that it were a series of events that led to a perhaps avoidable happening.

“It could have been the dispatcher on duty who might have received inadequate or incomplete information from the caller.

“We are not pointing fingers, but we have learnt a valuable lesson.

“Henceforth, an ambulance will be sent immediately even if the exact location is not confirmed and even if paramedics have to remain in the area for some time.

“Chances are that the location will be found.”

He said as of now, the dispatcher can try and re-confirm the exact location before sending an ambulance on its way.

“This re-confirmation can now take place while the paramedics are on their way,” said Dr Al Mehza.

He said in this case, an ambulance was “kept ready” immediately but was not dispatched till several hours later and after the intervention of a senior doctor at the department.

Further delay happened, allegedly because the paramedics’ and drivers’ shift was changing at that time.
GDN – 7 Aug, ’07