18 October 2004	Monday	03 Ramazan 1425

KARACHI, Oct 17: It is a medically-proven fact that a patient who bleeds profusely following an accident may die before he reaches a hospital, no matter how efficient and prompt the ambulance service may be.

In case the supply of oxygen to the brain is blocked for more than three minutes, the patient may die on his way to a healthcare facility. Similarly, if due care is not taken while transporting a patient whose neck is injured severely, the person in question may become paralysed.

These are just some of the reasons why many patients die on their way to healthcare centres, following a trauma. To reduce mortality and morbidity in such cases, therefore, there is a need for an ambulance service which not only shifts the patient to a healthcare facility quickly but also provides proper care on the way.

Realizing this the Edhi Foundation launched a programme on Sept 3, called the Edhi Emergency Medical Service, under which trauma patients are taken from the site of an accident or terrorist attack to a hospital in the supervision of trained doctors or paramedics in ambulances having life-saving equipment and medicines.

Edhi Foundation's chief volunteer, Rizwan Edhi, told Dawn on Sunday that many attendants and relatives of patients had started insisting on ambulances having paramedical staff and life-saving equipment. "They may or may not know the exact name of the new service, but they have already started making it clear that what they need is ambulances having proper staff and equipment."

Rizwan said since its inception, the EEMS had handled more than 1,200 patients, most of whom were satisfied. "This is just the beginning. I think this service will become very important, especially in case we have terrorist attacks, God forbid."

Answering a question, Rizwan said the EEMS fleet at the moment comprised 13 made-to-order ambulances. "This number may seem small, but we plan to have many more ambulances in the fleet eventually."

He said 17 paramedical staff had already been trained in the basics of first-aid and emergency medicine. "We are very grateful to Prof Tipu Sultan for training our people at his department in the Civil Hospital."

Rizwan told this reporter that another batch of some 20 staff were going to be trained in emergency medicine soon. "These people are going to be trained after Ramazan specifically because we plan to expand the new service."

The EEMS ambulances were quite different from the other ambulances run and maintained by the foundation, he said. "All these ambulances sport a red band, just like the ambulances abroad."

In the last six months, he said, his foundation's ambulances had collectively travelled more than 40,000 kilometres. "This shows how busy we have been."

He clarified that the new service was not meant for trauma patients only. "People in all sorts of emergencies can benefit from this service, the charges for which are only Rs50 per 20km."

Rizwan said top hierarchy of the Edhi Foundation was not unmindful of the wrongdoing its staff may indulge in from time to time.