HMC Ambulance Service relaunches 'Know the 5 to Save a Life' campaign

Hamad Medical Corporation's (HMC) Ambulance Service relaunched its national awareness campaign, 'Know the 5 to Save a Life,' at Doha Festival City recently. The 3-day initiative aimed to educate the public about the critical steps to take when calling an ambulance during an emergency.The 5 key actions highlighted by the campaign are: Dial 999 immediately: In an emergency, it is crucial to dial 999 promptly to allow the Ambulance Service to respond quickly.Know the location of the emergency: Providing the precise location of the incident helps responders reach the scene quickly.Answer all questions asked by the call handler: Clear and accurate information is vital for efficient ambulance dispatch.Follow all instructions given while on the call: Complying with instructions from the call handler can make a significant difference to the outcome of an emergency.Give way to ambulances: Allowing ambulances to pass easily through traffic is essential to reaching the location of the incident as quickly as possible.Ali Darwish, assistant executive director, Emergency and Scheduled Ambulance Service, HMC emphasised the significance of the campaign, saying: "Time is the most critical factor when responding to medical emergencies. Educating the community of Qatar about the five key steps will support the Ambulance Service in providing the best possible treatment as quickly as possible."With just over 200,000 emergency calls and 50,000 non-emergency calls to the Ambulance Service each year, Abdulaziz Alyafei, assistant executive director, Healthcare Coordination, HMC Ambulance Service said there is an ever-increasing demand on the Ambulance Service."Qatar’s population stands at just under 3mn and as part of our national campaign relaunch, the HMC Ambulance Service will also be asking visitors to the booth to save the Ambulance Service for medical emergencies. Reducing the volume of non-emergency calls will enable our teams to continue to respond quickly and effectively to critical cases.”HMC has a state-of-the-art fleet staffed by highly experienced paramedics and critical care paramedics who administer medical treatment before transporting patients to an appropriate emergency department, playing a pivotal role in saving lives every day.