Thursday, May 17, 2012
Gulf News
Dubai The new headquarters of the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services in Warsan 3 were officially opened yesterday by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince.
The corporation operates 166 ambulance vehicles all over Dubai.
Built at a cost of Dh50 million, the new building was completed in 18 months, which is considered record time, according to Khalifa Al Darrai, CEO of the corporation.
Construction was supervised by a committee from Dubai Municipality as well as the corporation, he said.
The corporation’s new headquarters, which came into operation in May last year, spans an area of 237,000 sqft and includes two other buildings for storage and vehicle maintenance.
The main building, with an area of of 79,000 sqft includes 78 offices and three elevators. The ground floor hosts an emergency unit and the Crisis and Disasters Team, which operates around the clock.
Crisis and disaster
“There were 30 ambulance stations in Dubai before the corporation was established in 2006, but after unifying the services of Dubai Health Department and Dubai Police and launching the corporation, and with the support of Shaikh Hamdan, the stations have been increased to 68 based in police and civil defence stations, hospitals, clinics, Dubai Airport and Al Maktoum Airport terminals, roads and highways,” Al Darrai said.
The corporation operates 166 vehicles including three buses prepared to be used in crisis and disaster situations, including one that holds the Guinness World Record for the longest ambulance vehicle.
The custom-made bus is about 20 metres long and can accommodate up to 44 patients at the same time and operate as a field hospital. The corporation’s state-of-the-art ambulances can be linked to surgeries and hospitals to allow paramedics to perform life-saving procedures on the spot. Some of the ambulances have been fitted for specific missions, such as the maternity and childhood ambulances, others for the elderly and some for heart patients.
The corporation also examines and licenses ambulances belonging to hospitals and clinics. The vehicles are examined by paramedics and emergency medicine specialists to assess their readiness and specifications.
By Dina Aboul Hosn ?Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2012. All rights reserved.
