Health ministry deploys standby ambulances for festive season

The Ministry of Health, through the Uganda National Ambulance Service has deployed, on standby, a fleet of fully equipped and staffed ambulances along the major routes leading into and out of Kampala City.

According to statement issued Saturday, the ambulances shall serve on a 24/7 basis to handle any medical eventualities that may come up during the festive season.

The Ambulances are strategically stationed at Buloba police post along Mityana road, Kajjansi police post along Entebbe road, Mpigi police post along Masaka road, Nansana police post along hoima road, Mukono police post along Jinja road, Bombo along Gulu highway and in the city center.

To access the services, the public will call the Police toll free lines 999 or 122 who then will notify the ambulance staff to dispatch from the different stations to the emergence location. The public can also call these direct lines 0701 226217, 0772 181552, 0704 356850, 0782 581272, 0755 378085 in case of any emergency.

"The festive season is characterized by increased pedestrian and motor vehicle traffic, partying and merry making, which increases the likelihood of occurrence of road traffic accidents and other forms of injuries.

Festivities are also characterized by increased emergency incidents in form of domestic violence, food poisoning, and alcohol intoxication among others," the statement said.

It added that the Ministry of Health is committed to ensuring that anyone who requires urgent emergency medical intervention and safe transportation to nearby health facilities for advanced medical care accesses emergency medical/ambulance services at no cost.

"Timely emergency medical response for those in any form of medical distress will increase their chance of survival and above all reduce rates of disability that results from delayed access to medical care and inappropriate transportation means to nearby health facilities," the ministry observed.

It explained that Government is in the process of operationalizing a National Ambulance Service whose mandate is to improve referral and ambulance services across the country.

Currently, referral and ambulance services have been operationalized in the Kampala Metropolitan Area while plans are under way to roll out the service at regional level to cover the entire country.