A critically ill patient requiring advanced life support, a newborn who needs resuscitation after an emergency delivery, and a patient weighing up to 300kg can now be transported in specialised ambulances designed around their specific medical needs in Abu Dhabi.
The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi has unveiled a new fleet of smart and specialised ambulances, including a mobile critical-care unit equipped to support patients requiring ECMO, an ambulance dedicated to mothers and newborns, and a specially designed vehicle for patients with severe obesity.
The new vehicles were showcased alongside a comprehensive emergency medical operations centre that acts as a command hub for the emirate’s emergency healthcare system, giving teams a live view of ambulances, hospital capacity, emergency departments, specialised services, weather conditions and other operational data.
The system has already contributed to a reported 49.5 per cent reduction in response times for heart attack cases, according to Dr Salama Al Tamimi, Executive Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi.
One of the new ambulances is effectively a mobile critical-care unit, designed for patients whose condition requires interventions that cannot be accommodated in a conventional ambulance.
Dr Al Tamimi said the vehicle can support patients requiring Ecmo, a form of advanced life support that can temporarily take over the functions of the heart and lungs.
Ecmo equipment is large and cannot easily fit into a conventional ambulance, she explained, making a specialised vehicle necessary when a patient requiring the treatment needs to be transported.
The ambulance also has equipment including an infusion pump, ECG monitoring, ultrasound equipment and advanced ventilation capabilities.
Paramedic Meera Al Ruqaishi, who demonstrated the vehicle, pointed out the infusion pump and ultrasound equipment as examples of technology used to support critically ill patients.
She also highlighted the larger interior space, which allows medical teams greater room to work around a patient during transport.
For a patient who is struggling to breathe, for example, the ambulance is equipped to provide artificial ventilation and monitor the patient’s condition during the journey.
The equipment is already in use, Dr Al Tamimi said.
A second specialised ambulance focuses on mothers and babies, particularly emergencies involving births outside hospital or during transport.
The vehicle includes equipment designed to keep newborns safe and provide immediate support when a baby requires resuscitation.
