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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1993
HE ADDED THAT THE DEPARTMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN IT'S EXISTING STANDARD OF EMERGENCY SERVICES WITH A FLEFT WHICH WOULD REDUCE FROM 208 AMBULANCES AND 15 AMBULANCE AID MOTORCYCLES TO 158 AND 15 RESPECTIVELY.
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**THE DEPARTMENT WILL SEEK TO ACHIEVE, AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, ITS TARGET OF RESPONDING TO EMERGENCY CALLS WITHIN 10 MINUTES, MR ASPREY SAID.
THIS TARGET RESPONSE TIME WAS ESTABLISHED IN
1987. FOLLOWING THE RECOMMENDATION OF AN INDEPENDENT OVERSEAS CONSULTANT, WHO CONDUCTED AN EXTENSIVE REVIEW OF THE AMBULANCE SERVICES PROVIDED IN HONG KONG,
"THERE ARE NO INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS ON RESPONSE TIMES, BUT WE SATISFIED THAT OUR TARGET TIME IS ADEQUATE; WE HAVE NO PLANS TO REDUCE IT," MR ASPREY SAID.
ARE
THE
HOWEVER, TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF ITS EMERGENCY SERVICES, FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT WOULD BE INTRODUCING PARAMEDIC SERVICES ΤΟ UPGRADE THE STANDARD OF THE ON-THE-SPOT CARE PROVIDED FOR PATIENTS AT EMERGENCIES, HE ADDED.
THE COMMUNICATION AND CONTROL CENTRE OF THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT WOULD MAINTAIN ITS COMMAND AND CONTROL OF AMBULANCES FOR EMERGENCY CALLS, THE HOSPITAL AUTHORITY WOULD MAKE SEPARATE ARRANGEMENTS TO RECEIVE, AND TO RESPOND TO, NON-EMERGENCY CALLS, MR
ASPREY SAID.
"THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN EMERGENCY AND NON-EMERGENCY CALLS IS QUITE CLEAR AND THERE SHOULD BE VERY LITTLE OVERLAP BETWEEN THE TWO CONTROL CENTRES.
·
'LIAISON AND CO-ORDINATION BETWEEN THE TWO SHOULD ENSURE THAT ANY PROBLEMS WHICH DO ARISE ARE QUICKLY RESOLVED, HE SAID.
IN THE PAST THREE YEARS, THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAS RESPONDED TO AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 420,000 EMERGENCY AND NON-EMERGENCY CALLS EACH YEAR AND THERE WAS ONLY ONE PROVEN CASE OF ABUSE IN 1991.
NO REASON TO
"
"WE HAVE, THEREFORE, AMBULANCE SERVICES IS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM,
BELIEVE THAT ABUSE OF HE SAID.
MR ASPREY POINTED OUT THAT THE MAIN REASON FOR THIS SATISFACTORY SITUATION WAS THAT THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE HOSPITAL AUTHORITY, THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, HAD DRAWN UP A SET OF
'ADMINISTRATIVE GUIDELINES ON THE SCOPE OF NON-EMERGENCY TRANSFERS *
NOVEMBER 1990.
IN
UNDER THESE GUIDELINES, THE USE OF AMBULANCES FOR NON-EMERGENCY TRANSFERS REQUIRES PRE-BOOKING AND MUST BE AUTHORISED BY A DOCTOR, NURSE OR SOCIAL WORKER.
"THESE ARRANGEMENTS HAVE MADE THE FRIVOLOUS OR IMPROPER USE OF AMBULANCE SERVICES VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE," HE SAID.
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