Kathmandu: Health experts said on May 15 ”ambulances were being operated in the city without equipping them with basic life-saving facilities”. Dr Kulesh Thapa, ex-member of Nepal Ambulance Service, said ambulances were not equipped with pre-hospital emergency care system and victims of trauma or medical emergencies were being ferried to the hospital in cabs or in private vehicles.
There are more than 700 medical emergencies reported in Kathmandu every day. “The consequences of using a taxi or an ill-equipped ambulance are serious,” said Dr Thapa. He added that many victims die on the way before reaching the hospital.
According toSushil Raj Regmi, programme officer at Nepal Red Cross Society, category ‘B’ ambulances need to have basic life support facilities such as first aid, life saving drugs, oxygen, mask, flow metre, IV injection, suction machine, fracture splint, cervical collar, spine support, air way, patient restraints strap and a trained paramedic. The ‘C’ category ambulances carry a first aid box, oxygen cylinder, flow metre, mask, IV injection, stethoscope, BP apparatus, torchlight and a stretcher-cum-bed, he added. |
