When the ambulance arrived at the emergency ward it was number five in line behind the other paramedic units. In the emergency ward there was a paramedic supervisor monitoring if there was a need for the patient to be watched by the paramedic team which could be sent back to the street.
The patient asked the paramedics why the disparity in times between pickup and pileup of ambulances at the emergency ward. The patient was told there was chronic shortage of ambulances; there have not been additional ambulances since 2003. There were not enough nurses at emergency to handle the input of patients so the overflow ends in the back of the paramedic unit which cannot respond to an emergency call because of lack of ambulances.
The nursing team at the hospital was efficient and the patient was dealt with in speed.
What can one do ? We can make contacts with our politicians. Ambulances belong to municipalities while hospitals are the jurisdiction of the provinces. Phone them or write them and explain to them that they should put more funds into their emergency medical services.
Adu Raudkivi
