Doha: Increased public awareness and steps taken by the government have resulted in a significant decrease in number of accidents during the winter camping season.
Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC)’s Ambulance Service has seen a reduction in the number of cases transferred from beaches and other camping areas in the 2022-2023 season which ended yesterday.
“Our operations during this camping season were smooth. There is a clear reduction in the number of fatalities,” Assistant Executive Director of the Ambulance Service, Ali Darwish told The Peninsula, adding that awareness created among the public has contributed to decrease in the number of accidents.
The season started in the Northern and Central regions of the country on November 1, 2022, while camping in the Southern regions (Sealine and Khor Al Udeid) started on December 20, 2022.
During the camping season, the HMC Ambulance Service deployed more units near beaches based on the number of people visiting the areas. The public was urged to follow safety measures during the camping season but in any case of an emergency, Ambulance Service helps in transporting patients to the nearest HMC hospitals.
Air ambulance helicopters, paramedics, critical care paramedics, rapid response paramedics, supervisors, liaison officers, and operations managers were dispatched by the Events and Emergency Preparedness Section at the Ambulance Service according to its predetermined operations plans to ensure optimum ambulance service coverage during the camping season.
“Activities slow down towards the end of the camping season, although people visited most of the areas due to the Eid holidays,” said Ali Darwish.
He said demand for the Ambulance Service was relatively low at the start of the camping season due to the World Cup. However, it increased in January.
Ambulance Service supports HMC’s Sealine Medical Clinic.
It also works closely with other government entities to provide high-quality healthcare services to campers in the Sealine and surrounding areas.
Since the 2021-2022 camping season, the services were expanded to other beach areas including Dukhan, Al Ghariya, Al Khor, and Simaisma, due to the increase in visitors.
Ambulance Service coverage in the Sealine area operates 24/7. During weekends, Ambulance Service operates with regular ambulances, critical care service, life-flight, and 4x4 vehicles, which are deployed for transporting patients from sand dunes to a clinic, a standard ambulance vehicle, or the helipad.
Ambulance Service deployed three ambulances and one 4x4 vehicle near the beach area in Dukan; in the Northern area (Al Khor, Ruwais) three regular ambulances and two 4x4 vehicles were deployed.
