Ministry of health deploys 300 ambulances for festive emergencies

By Christine Nakyeyune

With just hours to the Christmas celebrations, the ministry of health through its Emergency Ambulance Services (EAS) has deployed over 300 ambulances to handle emergencies that usually characterise festivities.

According to health minister Dr Jane Aceng, the festive season is characterized by increased pedestrian and motor vehicle traffic with a resultant increase in road carnage.

This, she says, leads to many casualties who require lifesaving first aid at the scene of accident followed by safe professional transportation  to health facilities  for continued acute and critical care.

Aceng says the festive season also results in an increase of patients with other emergencies from domestic violence, food poisoning, alcohol intoxication, routine medical care, maternal and child emergencies.

She thus says the deployed ambulances are staffed with upto 300 emergency care professionals across the country.

This will be coordinated using established regional emergency teams under the leadership of the regional referral hospital directors, city medical officers and district health officers.

These ambulances will be deployed on highways at selected hospitals, police stations, URCS offices and selected district sites to respond to road traffic injuries.

Written by Noelyn Nassuuna