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First aid advice on convulsions and heat exposure will be added to the Fire Services Department (FSD)'s existing post-dispatch advice for emergency ambulance services from June 1 (Friday).
The first aid advice for convulsions will remind callers not to forcefully put things into the patient's mouth and will advise them to remove objects near the patients that will pose a danger to them. The first aid advice for heat exposure will guide callers to lower the patient's body temperature quickly.
A spokesman for the FSD said today (May 29) that in order to enhance emergency ambulance services, the department has been providing post-dispatch advice for emergency ambulance calls for common injuries including bleeding, dislocation or fracture in limbs and burns since May 1, 2011.
"The first aid advice is simple yet useful, because callers, under an emergency situation, usually have no idea about how to offer help to the patients. If callers can stay calm and follow the instructions, the post-dispatch advice can provide patients with proper immediate treatment prior to the arrival of the ambulance crew and reduce the chance of deterioration in the condition of the patients.
"In a telephone survey about the post-dispatch advice for emergency ambulance services conducted by the FSD between May 2011 and January 2012, over 95 per cent of the respondents were satisfied with the post-dispatch advice. They supported the FSD to continue to provide the advice," he said.
The spokesman stressed that callers may decide whether or not to accept and follow the advice on their own. It works on a voluntary basis.
"If the Fire Services Communications Centre (FSCC) personnel have doubts about the ability of the caller in understanding and following the advice, such as in the case of children, they would not proceed to offer the advice," he said.
He added that FSCC personnel would also provide callers with time-saving advice, such as bringing along patients' medication and opening doors to wait for the emergency crew, so as to facilitate the work of the ambulance crew upon arrival.
Ends/Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Issued at HKT 12:01
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