Reply:
(b)
(a)
(b)
47 -
what immediate measures have been put in place to improve and reinforce ambulance services in East Kowloon in order that the targets set in the Performance Pledge can be met?
According to the survey conducted by the Consultant, emergency ambulance services in East Kowloon in the first quarter of 1995 met 89.2% of all calls within the target travel time of 10 minutes, which came close to the overall performance of the territory in the same period (i.e. 89.8%). The reasons for failing to meet the performance target are mainly due to the increased number of emergency calls, deteriorating traffic conditions, and disruptions caused by bad weather.
The Director of Fire Services is already taking action on those measures recommended by the Consultant to improve ambulance services that can be implemented quickly. The measures include: the stationing of ambulances in fire stations to extend emergency ambulance coverage; streamlining of operational procedures for ambulance deployments; transfer of residual non-emergency cases to another agency; and the redeployment of ambulances and their crews from stations with relatively adequate manning to those where manning is inadequate to meet local demand.
On 1 January 1996, two additional ambulances were deployed to Ngau Tau Kok Ambulance Depot and Tseung Kwan O Ambulance Depot. The Lam Tin Ambulance Depot is scheduled to be completed at the end of 1997.
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