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The Fire Services Department (FSD), commencing May 1 (Sunday), will provide post-despatch advice, including simple first aid advice and time-saving advice, for emergency ambulance calls involving three types of injuries to further enhance ambulance services.
The Department's Fire Services Communications Centre (FSCC) will only provide the advice to callers after the despatch of ambulances, so it will not cause any delay to the provision of emergency services.
"The three types of common injuries are bleeding; dislocation or fracture of limbs, and burns. The post-despatch advice enables patients to obtain appropriate immediate treatment prior to the arrival of the ambulance crew, so as to reduce the chances of the patient's condition getting worse," an FSD spokesman said today (April 29).
"The first aid advice is easy to follow, such as cooling the burns with running water for 10 minutes; avoid unnecessary movement of patients suffering from dislocation or fracture of limbs; and applying pressure to bleeding wounds with a clean towel," the spokesman said.
He added that callers might decide whether or not to accept and follow the advice. It works on a voluntary basis.
"If the FSCC personnel doubt the ability of the caller, such as a child, to follow the advice, they would not proceed to give it," the spokesman said.
FSCC personnel will also give callers some time-saving advice so as to facilitate the ambulance crew's work upon arrival, such as bringing along patients' medication and opening doors to wait for the emergency crew.
He said FSCC members were capable of providing post-despatch advice to callers effectively, as they had been trained in ambulance aid as well as mobilising and communication skills.
FSD will conduct telephone surveys with callers who have received the post-despatch advice and will review the effectiveness of the new service at the end of the year.
Ends/Friday, April 29, 2011
Issued at HKT 18:14
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