XN000022-1987-04-16 — Page 4

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 1987

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QUICKER AMBULANCE RESPONSE TIME ADOPTED

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THE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED TO ADOPT IN PRINCIPLE TEN MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS PUT FORWARD BY CONSULTANTS WHO WERE ENGAGED TO STUDY THE AMBULANCE SERVICE IN HONG KONG, A GOVERNEMT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

THIS FOLLOWS DELIBERATIONS BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND PROVIDES FOR CLEAR POLICY GUIDELINES AS TO HOW THE SERVICE SHOULD DEVELOP.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT A ONE-YEAR CONSULTANCY STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN BY THE HEALTH OPERATIONAL RESEARCH UNIT (HORU), A UK FIRM WITH EXTENSIVE WORLDWIDE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD OF AMBULANCE SERVICES, UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF A GOVERNMENT INTER-DEPARTMENTAL AMBULANCE SERVICES REVIEW STEERING GROUP.

THE STUDY WAS INITIATED IN 1985 TO SEE HOW THE SERVICE COULD BE MADE MORE EFFICIENT. IN FACT, GIVEN THE HIGH LEVEL OF DEMAND AND THE UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT OF HONG KONG, THE CONSULTANTS CONSIDERED THAT THE AMBULANCE COMMAND OF THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT WAS INDEED PROVIDING A HIGH STANDARD OF SERVICE TO THE HONG KONG PUBLIC.

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THE SPOKESMAN ELABORATED THAT BASICALLY, THE CONSULTANTS HAD RECOMMENDED THAT THE TARGET TRAVEL TIME, I.E. THE INTERVAL BETWEEN MOBILISING A VEHICLE AND ITS ARRIVAL AT THE SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT SHOULD BE SET AT THE LEVEL OF TEN MINUTES WITHIN WHICH 95 PER CENT OF EMERGENCY CALLS IN THE URBAN AREAS INCLUDING THE NEW TOWNS MUST FALL. THIS TEN-MINUTE TARGET TIME MEANS THAT 50 PER CENT OF THE CALLS WILL BE MET IN ABOUT FOUR TO FIVE MINUTES ONLY.

AT PRESENT, 95 PER CENT OF EMERGENCY CALLS IN THE URBAN AREAS ARE MET WITHIN TRAVEL TIMES OF 14 TO 15 MINUTES. THEREFORE, THE PROPOSED TEN-MINUTE TARGET TIME FOR URBAN AREAS REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT. IT ALSO REPRESENTS A BETTER LEVEL OF SERVICE THAN THAT AIMED FOR IN THE URBAN AREAS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, WHICH HAS ADOPTED IN PRINCIPLE A STANDARD OF AN ELEVEN-MINUTE TRAVEL TIME.

FOR RURAL AREAS, THE CONSULTANTS CONSIDER THAT IT IS NOT REALISTIC TO EXPECT A BETTER PERFORMANCE THAN THE CURRENT STANDARD OF SERVICE, 1.E. 95 PER CENT OF RURAL CALLS ARE REACHED WITHIN 30-35 MINUTES. THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE AREAS.

NEW AMBULANCE DEPOTS WILL BE SO LOCATED AND BUILT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS GRADUALLY TO MEET THE TEN-MINUTE TARGET TIME. MEANWHILE THE AMBULANCE SERVICE HAS ALREADY TAKEN TEMPORARY MEASURES TO IMPROVE THE TIME IT TAKES TO REACH AN INCIDENT, SUCH AS BY OUTPOSTING OF AMBULANCES AT ADDITIONAL FIRE STATIONS.

IN ADDITION,