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Unified emergency services launched

DUBAI — A unified emergency system operating through 28 centres was launched in the emirate of Dubai yesterday following an agreement reached between Dubai Police, Dubai Civil Defence and Dubai department of Health and Medical Services (DOHM).

Brigadier Dr Jamal Mohammed Khalifa Al Merri, Acting Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, said the project, based on collaborative effort, was aimed at providing distinct and speedy emergency services to the public in the emirate.

Hailing the efforts that led to the launch of this project, Brig. Dr Al Merri said the project had helped unify the process of providing emergency medicine rendered by three different departments involved in rescue and emergency operations.

The three parties have endorsed telephone number 999 as a unified emergency number. Members of the public in need of emergency services from any of the three parties should call this number, he said, adding that notification of any type of emergency or accident had been centralised and would be processed through Dubai Police Operation Room.

Unified dispatch and communication systems and mechanisms to activate the staff are being worked out, he said, adding: "Unified training programmes for all the staff will be adopted."

Apart from the fully equipped branch centres, emergency and rescue staff and facilities would be available round the clock at Dubai Police's Operations Room to help provide the needed support as quickly as possible and whenever needed, he said.

The agreement for the project was reached after extensive studies into various aspects including protocol, work mechanism and executive plans. The project embodied successful partnership between the three involved parties, he added.

The project would also facilitate exchanging experiences between workers in the field of emergency medicine, besides supporting a platform of cooperation with relevant academic institutions to prepare sustainable education programmes for this speciality, he said.

The project also helps specify the relationship and work process between workers in the emergency medicine and will have integrated system for collection of data, he said, adding that the main elements for successful emergency services included providing the needed manpower, training, communication, ambulances and observation of time factor in addition to the evaluation of performance and developing plans.

"All these elements have been thoroughly studied and accordingly, the levels of emergency services rendered in the emirate will be developed," he stressed.

Abdullah bin Souqat, Director of Human Resources Department at Dohms, said medical intervention will be provided to those who were outside the premises of hospitals and were subject to injuries or health problems at highest levels.

"Medical staff and technicians who are academically qualified and have the necessary experience will provide emergency services through the unified emergency centre. Apart from rendering optimal emergency services to the public, we look to having Dubai among the best countries in the world with regard to providing emergency medicine services," he said.

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