The Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) Ambulance Service relaunched its ‘Know the 5 to save a life’ national awareness campaign, aimed at educating the public about the key actions to take when calling an ambulance in an emergency situation.
The campaign previously ran in 2013 and is being rerun to highlight the importance of understanding how to use the service. Dr Robert Owen, Chief Executive Officer of the HMC Ambulance Service, explained that the significant increase in Qatar’s population has grown significantly and this has led to an increased demand for their services. By re-running this campaign, he said that they aim to reinforce their key messages to residents and to educate new residents.
Each year we receive more than 250,000 calls to the Ambulance Service and many of these are requesting emergency support for life-threatening incidents. In order for us to be able to provide the best possible support as quickly as possible, it is vital that members of the public follow the campaign’s five key steps.’
- Dial 999 immediately
- Know your location
- Answer all questions asked
- Follow all instructions given
- Give way to ambulances on roadways
Explaining the campaign’s key messages, Brendon Morris, Executive Director of the Ambulance Service, said that time is a critical factor when it comes to responding to medical emergencies. He said that it’s important that people dial 999 immediately so that teams can be sent to help as quickly as possible. Before sending a response team, the ambulance dispatcher must first know where to send them, so it is essential that people know their location and are able to quickly and accurately describe this.
When at home, the easiest way to give your location is to provide the details on the building number plate, which is usually fixed to the exterior of the building. Other ways to provide an accurate location are street names or prominent landmarks.’
During the 999 call, the ambulance dispatcher needs to gain a clear understanding of the emergency so that the correct response team can be sent. The Ambulance Service has a diverse fleet of specialist response units which are able to respond quickly and effectively to a wide range of incidents in various locations.
It is important that the caller stays on the line even after the most appropriate response team has been sent and that they follow the instructions of the ambulance dispatcher, explained Ali Darwish, Assistant Executive Director of the Ambulance Service.
Our response teams will get to the patient as quickly as possible, but there may be things that the caller can do to help the patient before the teams arrive. For this reason, it is important that the caller answers all the dispatcher’s questions and follows their instructions.’
The final message of the ‘Know the 5 to save a life’ campaign stresses the importance of drivers giving way to ambulances on the road.
When an ambulance is on its way to an emergency incident, it will have its flashing lights and siren on. When drivers see an ambulance approaching in their rear view mirror, or from the side, they should move over to the side of the road to let the ambulance pass. Every second counts in the most serious medical emergencies and we are asking drivers to help our ambulances pass through traffic as quickly as possible.’
The campaign messaging will be promoted over the coming months via a range of channels – social media, newspapers, roadside advertising, and in shopping malls. For more information about the HMC Ambulance Service, visit their website at hamad.qa.
