Ambulance Service union: What΄s happening with the water ambulance?
AmbulanceService
04 Jan 2022
/ 11:36
CORFU. In 13 days there have been 10 transfers with the regular ferry boat!
It seems that the Ambulance Service's hope to be relieved of transfers following the arrival of the water ambulance has not been fulfilled.
According to Ambulance Service (EKAB) Employees Union, despite the new water ambulance, the ambulances continue to be used for transfers of patients to Igoumenitsa, leaving the island uncovered.
EKAB Employees Union statement:
From the moment that it was announced that a water ambulance would be coming to Corfu, EKAB Employees Union responded positively and gave its support to this improvement in the provision of health services for emergency pre-hospital care and taking the load of patient transfers off EKAB - a responsibility which on an almost daily basis leaves the island and the public with one less ambulance to respond to calls.
26/12/2021 at 12:00 - During the transfer by ambulance of a heart attack patient on the regular ferry service, the ferry boat had a problem and had to return to Corfu. The ambulance then had to go to Igoumenitsa with another boat at 14:30 and then on to Ioannina Hospital.
This kind of situation is both tragic and dangerous and we demand to be told until when transfers will continue with the regular ferry service, even though we now have a water ambulance.
Between 22 December and 3 January the EKAB ambulances had to carry out 10 transfers without the water ambulance carrying out any of them.
We and the local community are demanding to be told finally if the water ambulance will have EKAB personnel and will carry out at least the majority of transfers, allowing the island to have one more ambulance available on land here.
The water ambulance is a significant resource - a fully-equipped mobile unit with medical personnel who will be able to provide much more medical assistance than they can in a simple ambulance in the garage of a ferry boat, waiting to arrive in Igoumenitsa.
Christos Kypriotis - President
Gerasimos Roditis - Secretary
According to Ambulance Service (EKAB) Employees Union, despite the new water ambulance, the ambulances continue to be used for transfers of patients to Igoumenitsa, leaving the island uncovered.
EKAB Employees Union statement:
From the moment that it was announced that a water ambulance would be coming to Corfu, EKAB Employees Union responded positively and gave its support to this improvement in the provision of health services for emergency pre-hospital care and taking the load of patient transfers off EKAB - a responsibility which on an almost daily basis leaves the island and the public with one less ambulance to respond to calls.
26/12/2021 at 12:00 - During the transfer by ambulance of a heart attack patient on the regular ferry service, the ferry boat had a problem and had to return to Corfu. The ambulance then had to go to Igoumenitsa with another boat at 14:30 and then on to Ioannina Hospital.
This kind of situation is both tragic and dangerous and we demand to be told until when transfers will continue with the regular ferry service, even though we now have a water ambulance.
Between 22 December and 3 January the EKAB ambulances had to carry out 10 transfers without the water ambulance carrying out any of them.
We and the local community are demanding to be told finally if the water ambulance will have EKAB personnel and will carry out at least the majority of transfers, allowing the island to have one more ambulance available on land here.
The water ambulance is a significant resource - a fully-equipped mobile unit with medical personnel who will be able to provide much more medical assistance than they can in a simple ambulance in the garage of a ferry boat, waiting to arrive in Igoumenitsa.
Christos Kypriotis - President
Gerasimos Roditis - Secretary
