Representatives of companies that provide ambulance and pre-hospital care and the Dominican Association of Pre-Hospital Medical Services (Adempreh) have expressed their concern over the quality of the ambulances that will be used in the startup of the National System of Attention to Emergencies and Safety (911).
They think that the government might require private sector support in order to supply the public demand for services and are offering their services to the government. The companies were created to fill a void for efficient ambulance services by the government.
Milciades Reyes from Movimed said that there would be an avalanche of people asking for the service, then there will be a breakdown in this initial phase, which is critical, and they wanted the government to know that they were available.
They said that Ministry of Public Health authorities contacted them two months ago with a request to provide the 911 System with 20 of their ambulances, and although they said that they were willing to do this, they are still waiting for confirmation.
Reyes explained that they felt a need for the 20 ambulances because there was a deficit as 84 had not arrived from Taiwan but it appeared they had made a decision to start with what is available.
This is why they fear that at the beginning the system will fail and that “the authorities will look bad despite their good intentions.”
Movimed president Julio Baez confirmed that they were willing to contribute, especially given their experience but said that they have not been contacted, whilst Ramon Rojas from Promed Dominicana said that they also wanted a relationship that would allow them to provide the missing ambulances.
According to Santiago Acosta from SOS Ambulancia, in the United States, the 911 System uses private services to provide assistance, because they receive maintenance, personnel and service 24 hours a day.
www.diariolibre.com/ecos/2014/05/23/i622391_empresas-ambulancias-quieren-participar-sistema-del.html