A seminar on Emergency Medical Services was organized by Aman Healthcare Services at the Karachi Press Clubtoday. The seminar aimed at creating wider awareness in the media community of the critical importance of emergency medical services and the role Aman has played in this area for the past 10 years. The event also included a demonstration and on the spot basic training in lifesaving skills for the participants, keeping in mind that a medical emergency can happen anywhere and in anyone’s home, and knowing basic lifesaving skills can actually save precious lives while people are waiting for an ambulance to reach.
Aman Foundation’s CEO,Mujahid Khan, GM KhaqanSikander andAman Health’s CEO,ShazinaMasud, addressed the media, on operational and other aspects of emergency medical services, with a focus on the importance of life-saving ambulancesin Karachi’s healthcare infrastructure. The speakers also highlighted the recently signed agreements with the Government of Sindh and Patients Aid Foundation,based onwhich the ambulanceservice will become free-of-cost for all citizens and the fleet will gradually be expanded to 200 lifesaving ambulances under a public private framework to cater to the entire population of Karachi.
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It was pointed outthat emergencies are reported every two minutes in the city on a daily basis. It is crucial that these emergencies are catered by lifesaving ambulances specifically as these have the facilities and equipment necessary to provide adequate medical attention on the spot. Paramedics present inside these ambulances are trained to gauge emergency situations and provide the right kind of attention on the spot to prevent further complications.
Another important aspect that was brought to attention was the need for establishing a single, fully integrated system which connects all hospitals and ambulances together, in order to make it easier for the citizens to get help in case of emergencies. With regards to this, the speakers lauded the Government of Sindh for having taken a step in the right direction by announcing the ‘Sindh Emergency Medical Services’ project. A similar public-private partnership already exists with the provincial government, established in 2017, whereby the two collaborate to provide free-of-cost ambulance services in Thatta and Sujawal.
Aman Health’s CEO ShazinaMasud said, “The need for expanding emergency medical services in the city, and across Pakistan is urgent. As per World Health Organization standards, there should be 1 life-saving ambulance per 100,000 people, and we are far behind meeting this. Karachi needs at least 200 life-saving ambulances to cater to emergencies, and we look forward to materializing the agreement with Government of Sindh soon”
Aman Health’s flagship initiative, Aman Ambulance, has deeply impacted the landscape of emergency care in Karachi. It is the first of its kind of ambulancenetwork providing 24/7 emergency care in Sindh. The Aman Foundation’s flagship Aman Ambulance, with advanced life-saving equipment, has made over 1 million interventions to date. Lifesaving ambulances transport patients to hospitals while providing intensive emergency care en-route. The service has a fleet of 60 ambulances, 500+ trained healthcare professionals and life-saving drugs and equipment on board. It provides emergency medical interventions with an average response of 10 minutes. The service operates through a Command and Control Centre powered with real-time tracking and a wireless communications network, all part of the internationally recognized Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS).
