Manama: A rapid response ambulance service was launched in Bahrain.

His Majesty King Hamad yesterday ratified and issued a decree establishing the National Ambulance Centre.

The centralised service is aimed at cutting the response time and providing more effective treatment in emergency cases.

It will unify ambulances at 14 centres across the four governorates under a main operations room which will be equipped with hi-tech devices and communication systems.

The centres, which will include paramedics and assistants, will co-ordinate with the main call centre where specialised doctors will be available round the clock. The service will be affiliated to the Interior Ministry´s General Directorate of Civil Defence.

The GDN reported earlier that the centre will be supported by a team of specialists, who will accompany the ambulance and the caller can speak to a nurse or a doctor until the ambulance reaches the place from where the call was made.

“This means the experts can gather all the information about the patient by the time they reach the site, preparing them to attend to the case more effectively,” a senior official had said.

The new facility will also help in contributing to develop unified strategies to deal with crises and disasters, provide medical services during official events and propose legislations aimed at upgrading services.

It is also authorised to provide private paramedic services during sport, economic events and other unofficial public and private functions, with charges fixed by the Interior Minister.

A chief executive, with the rank of assistant under-secretary shall be appointed by decree and will be in charge of running the service.

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