Rapid-response ambulance centre to serve Expo 2020

Five vehicles will be stationed in Dubai Investments Park

New ambulance centre to service Expo 2021 site at NMC Royal Hospital, Dubai Investments Park 1. Leslie Pableo / The National

A rapid-response ambulance centre is to be set up at Dubai Investments Park to serve Expo2020.

Five ambulances will be stationed there to deal with emergencies at the Expo site in a partnership between NMC Healthcare and Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services.

The nearby facility will also improve response times to road traffic accidents on the E11 and adjoining road networks.

NMC Royal Hospital in DIP and the group's centre at Al Nahda are expected to treat an additional 650 patients every month as a result of the contract.

"We are always seeking to develop our emergency services in all possible ways, including activating our partnerships with all health sector institutions and bodies, “ said Khalifa Al Darrai, executive director of Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services.

“We see NMC Healthcare as an active partner in the development and improvement of community healthcare services, an initiative that is capable of supporting the first line of defence."

The partnership between NMC and Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services has been in place since 2015.

But this will be the first time ambulances have been permanently stationed at one of NMC's hospitals from a specific dispatch centre.

Over the past six years, more than 10,000 patients have been triaged by ambulance and treated at one of NMC’s hospitals.

The new dispatch centre should improve communication between ambulance teams and first responders with hospital staff to improve preparation to handle special trauma cases.

“We cater for a lot of polytraumas and road traffic accidents at the hospital already,” said Dr Mahesh Krishna, head of emergency and trauma at NMC Royal Hospital in DIP.

“This ambulance set-up will improve communication by enabling us to get a call directly and then dispatch the ambulance to collect the patient.

“It will allow us to know what is happening with the patient earlier and what to expect when they arrive at the hospital.”

As NMC Royal Hospital is the closest to the Expo site in Dubai South, it will also be the first port of call for casualties requiring emergency care or specialist surgery from the exhibition.

Tens of thousands of visitors are expected to visit the site when events get under way from October.

“We are the nearest hospital to the Expo site and we have discussed ways to plan in case of any emergencies,” said Dr Krishna.

“They will contact us immediately and we will despatch either one of our five ambulances here, or their own transport, depending on the nature of the incident.

“Our hospital will be the prime facility for any major incidents that may occur on-site. We deal with a lot of industrial accidents and RTAs, so it is something we are accustomed to.

“This dispatch centre will play an important role going forward.”

Five of the greenest pavilions at Expo 2020 - in pictures