2023-04-28 23:02:02
By significantly renovating its fleet, the Emergency Medical Service (EMSD) has purchased 110 new operational medical vehicles, with which the teams will go on calls throughout Latvia in the coming weeks, the “Delfi” portal was informed by the representative of the Emergency Medical Service Arita Freimane.
Content will continue after the ad
Advertising
Along with the purchase of new vehicles, investments were also made in equipping NMPD cars with more modern information technology solutions (IT), as well as new, much lighter and more compact, medical devices were previously purchased for the work of service brigades, says Freimane.
The purchase of emergency cars takes place within the project “Renewal of the fleet of emergency medical vehicles of the Emergency Medical Service”, where a total of 157 cars are purchased, of which 110 are delivered now, and another 47 at the end of the year.
The total cost of the project is 16.4 million euros, which includes the construction and purchase of the machines themselves, a five-year warranty, service services, sets of winter and summer tires, etc. 85% or 13.94 million euros of the project cost is covered by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). the remaining amount is financed from the state budget.
Liene Cipule, director of the National Emergency Service, believes that improving the material and technical base of the service is an essential step, so that it is more convenient for the brigades to work on calls, and for patients to receive faster and better quality help in critical situations for life and health.
“The entry of new operational vehicles into the service is a very awaited moment, because such cars cannot be bought in car showrooms. They are specially created and designed for the needs of the service, the preparation of such cars is long and complicated. The whole process is drawing out an idea, getting the necessary equipment for the specifics of the work of the brigades and providing assistance to patients identifying needs, organizing procurement, designing cars, testing, equipping – it can take up to two years,” she said.
A large team of about 30 service employees from various fields is involved in the process – transport security and information technology specialists, project managers, lawyers, medical equipment provision specialists.
Brigade medics and emergency medical vehicle drivers also participate in the development of the new cars – they have the final say both in the creation of the prototype and its testing before all the machines are ordered, explains Cipule.
Minister of Health Līga MenĆelsone (AP) stated that the new operational vehicles are a significant investment both in improving the work of the service and in providing health care in crisis situations. “This is a benefit for the citizens of Latvia,” she believes.
The purchased 110 “Volkswagen” vehicles are equipped with an automatic transmission. The machines have four-wheel drive, as well as improved protection of the lower part against rock impacts and other possible damage, in order to get to patients faster and safer in all weather conditions, even on difficult roads. In addition, safety has been specially thought about in the new cars – sensors are installed in the patient’s compartment, which alert the driver if someone is not wearing a seat belt, while the doors of medicine cabinets are designed so that, for example, due to rapid braking, their contents remain in place and are not damaged, the service explains.
One of the biggest benefits in vehicles is the latest generation IT solutions that meet all modern safety requirements. They are needed in the operational work in the execution of calls, in the exchange of data and information between the brigades and the Operational Control Center, as well as in communication with hospitals and other operational services. Also, the technologies allow remote consultation and sending of vital signs from the EMS machine to the doctors of the Operational Control Center in order to receive advice and help in patient care in particularly difficult situations. The navigation option has also been significantly improved – the crew can now see the most accurate and fastest route to the address literally instantly, by pressing one button, Freimane emphasized.
All new machines also have a new type of stretcher, the height of which can be adjusted at different levels, and they can also be transformed, adapting to each situation and the needs of a particular patient. For part of the vehicles, new medical devices have also been purchased from the service budget, which are much more compact, lighter and more convenient for medics who go to every call, taking life-saving equipment with them, which currently weighs more than 30 kilograms.
The new defibrillator now weighs only five instead of 15 kilograms. On the other hand, the artificial ventilation device for the lungs, which is a heavy and clumsy device that is sometimes carried by two doctors, is now the size of a palm and weighs only 1.4 kilograms, revealed the NMPD.
The new cars will significantly improve the service’s vehicle fleet, as until now only 35% of the emergency medical vehicles of the NMPD were in good technical condition. Currently, the average age of most cars is six to seven years, they have high mileage, which creates a risk of sudden damage during calls, and the maintenance and operation of such used cars is also expensive. The average number of kilometers traveled by one car is illustrated by the average number of kilometers driven by the NMPD brigade car, which has to endure when going on calls to patients and hospitals – they are around 60 thousand kilometers per year, but in many places in rural areas even 100 thousand kilometers, which is like two and a half times to go around the world by car, according to the service.
The new emergency vehicles will gradually come to the disposal of medics throughout Latvia – Aglona, Aizkraukle, Aizpute, Aknīste, Auce, Ādaži, Balvo, Bauska, Cēsis, Dagda, Daugavpils, Dobele, Garkalne, Gulbene, Jaunpiebalg, Jelgava, Jēkabpils, Jūrmala, Kandava, Kauguris, Kārsava, Krāslava, Kuldīga, Lielvārde, Liepāja, Limbaži, Livāni, Lubān, Ludz, Madlien, Mazsalac, Nereta, Ogre, Pļaviņa, Preiļi, Rēzekne, Roja, Rūjien, Sabile, Salacgrīva, Saldu, Saulkrasti, Sigulda, Skrunda, Smiltene, Tals, Taurene, Tukum, Valka, Valmiera, Ventspils, Viesite, Viļani, Zilupe and Riga.
On the other hand, within the framework of another ERAF project, the service provides new cars with modern IT system solutions and equipping cars with these technologies in order to significantly improve the execution of emergency calls.
#Avračka #svetna #buy #cars #million #euros #delivered