20% of emergency patients die in traffic

16 มกราคม 2560

Some people don't understand they should move out of the way for ambulances rushing to a hospital.

MEDICAL EMERGENCIES

20% of emergency patients die in traffic

16/01/2017
Online Reporters

About 20% of emergency patients die on the way to hospitals because the ambulances taking them are stuck in traffic.

This is according to National Institute for Emergency Medicine (NIEM) secretary-general Anucha Sethasathian.

Part of the problem is that some vehicles ignore ambulances and refuse to give way to them. In most western countries this is against the law, a law that is enforced and that could result in the motorist paying a high penalty such as a big fine, so motorists blocking ambulances habitually move out of the way.

REVELATION AFTER VIRAL VIDEO OF BLOCKED AMBULANCE

On Monday video clip -- which showed a pick-up truck refusing to give way to an ambulance which was rushing patients to a hospital in Chiang Mai -- went viral on social media.

Dr Anucha took this occasion to reveal the institute's statistics.

He said the statistics indicated traffic problems caused about 20% of the deaths of emergency patients while on the way to hospitals.

DRIVERS DO NOT UNDERSTAND THEY SHOULD GIVE WAY TO TAXI

They also showed some people did not understand that they should give the right of way to an ambulance rushing to a hospital.

Everyone should be aware that one second could mean life or death for patients in need of medical care, Dr Anucha said.

He said motorists should not raise any doubts on seeing an ambulance whether it is really taking a patient to a hospital.

Instead, they should raise their own awareness and learn to give way to an ambulance without being required to do so by a law.

Dr Anucha said most of the patients in ambulances had a heart disease, high blood pressure and critical diabetic symptoms, or sustained injuries from violent accidents.