Impact Case Study – First Responder (Paramedic) Motorbike Ambulance Service
Project Status - Delivered
Until recently residents in the Punjab region, including children, women and the elderly, were unable to receive appropriate emergency medical care, simply due to sparse geographical medical provision and narrow road networks. Emergency vehicles were either unavailable or unable to attend quickly to a medical emergency putting lives of the local community in danger. This situation is made worse in times of disaster with disruption of communications networks, including roads and bridges.
When IETUK were made aware of this issue, we knew we had to help to find a solution that would fit the demands of the country. With the support of various UK blue light services, vehicle manufacturers in the Punjab and an extensive network of UK community fundraisers, that’s exactly what we did.
Our solution: a First Responder Paramedic Motorbike designed to carry wide ranging medical equipment. A solution that would see first responders provide wide geographical coverage and be able to navigate the hazardous road network to reach patients, helping to save lives.
Of course, this service had to be, and is integrated into the emergency health provision in the Punjab, with ambulances, hospitals and doctors taking over after a first response.
Directly resulting from fundraising in the UK, ten First Responder Paramedic Motorbikes were manufactured by a local business in Lahore, assisting local employment opportunities, and were presented to the Chief Minister and Punjab Emergency Service Rescue 1122. This capability was married with appropriately trained Paramedic First Responders from Rescue 1122.
The initial success of this project was such that the Chief Minister of the Punjab Government subsequently chose to support an expansion of the project. An order for a further nine hundred motorbikes was placed with the manufacturer.
This investment by the Punjab Government has not only saved lives but also created a thousand jobs in the supply chain firmly supported the community.
The additional Paramedic First Responder Motorbikes have been rendering medical assistance to the Punjab community since September 2017.
Rescue 1122 statistics indicate that they have attended over 168,000 calls in the first year and 386,000 calls for assistance from the community in two years, achieving an average four-minute attendance time.
This is a highly successful project. Directly as a result of its success it is our intention to explore other geographical areas with the relevant authorities where this type of intervention will fit local medical requirements.