Emergency Drill Exercises in Modern Ambulance Systems - Essay Example

Because of Population increase and the attendant raise in need for emergency health care, ambulance systems should be energised to meet more rigorous challenges of the 21rst century. This paper seeks to illuminate on reasons why the emergency drill exercise needs more prominence in modern ambulance systems. Introduction Man by nature is a remorseful creature. This is manifest very well at times of disaster. Man has a tendency to help out even when the victim is a complete stranger. The first people that respond in times of an emergency, apart from individuals within the vicinity of the aftermath are the guys in an ambulance. Almost every city and hospital in the world has an ambulance. Emergencies elicit had-hog responses that are normally full of confusion, fear and sometimes phobia. It is not uncommon for casualties to be lost as a result of people fearing to take part. Or even if they wanted to, and knew what they wanted to do, they feel helpless because of shock and disbelieve. There is an innate human nature that can be a powerful force that needs to be nurtured and triggered at exactly the right time in times when disaster strikes. This is the remorseful and compassionate feeling to help a fellow human being in times of distress. The outward manifestation of this innate expression can be polished to perfection through rigorous drilling exercises. Involving oneself in this situation can actually become one’s second nature; it should be an instinctive feeling, much like an alarm bell. This is the pre-amble that lead to the development of the ambulance system. Current occurrences in the world strongly suggest that ambulance systems are going to be of more importance than ever before in history. Population growth and ambulance systems Population growth is a function of society. It brings with it desired and undesired effects in equal measure. Congestion in urban societies has greatly compromised on safety preparedness and response. Ambulance systems have not really been accorded the respect it deserves in modern society. There seems to be an inherent feeling in our society setup that ambulances are just a 'by the way’. Most people have not really known or cared to know about what is going on in there in the ambulance service departments. I believe there is no other time in history than now that emergency service fronted by the ambulance system should be given due recognition. What do ambulance departments do? More often than not, an ambulance refers to a vehicle that is used to transport a sick person or persons to a place of medical attention. It is normally occasioned by an occurrence of an accident, natural calamity bomb explosion or sudden illness. Ambulance situations arise because of emergencies requiring urgent attention to save a life. In most cases, there are at least five sections in an ordinary ambulance service. These are clinical development, field operations, data and finance department, corporate service and disaster units. The operations departments of most ambulance services are the key to their success. It is like the front office in an organisation. If this department is weak, all the other arms will surfer as well. There is no point in a having a system that is lame and cannot deliver when most needed. In times of disaster such as an accident, earthquake, fire or a bomb blast, moving victims quickly and efficiently to points of medical attention is of unparalled significance. That is why investing in rigorous training is crucial. Because disasters are impromptu, and not expected, we need to anticipate them by drilling ourselves for it. Concept and need for emergency drill Drill exercises are conducted to verify the adequacy of emergency policies, procedures and equipment. (ES&H Manual, 3510-T8, Emergency Drills, Jefferson Lab- rev. Nov 16 2001). Conducting drill regularly sharpens staff and generates the feeling that real emergency can happen any time. Drills are designed to iron out freaky nerves and phobias that are inherently resident in us. During times of emergencies, people tend to be confused. It is necessary for the flow of information to be smooth. These skills and techniques can only be horned through thorough drilling. Most lives are lost because of lose of valuable time occasioned by confusion as people try to rescue victims. All these problems can only be solved if effective training through drilling is done. Radical shift and rationale for change Modern society has not fully appreciated the fact that as the population increases; the need to prepare for disasters should also be factored in. We seem to be oblivious of the fact that society is becoming more chaotic as population increases. We need a radical shift in the way we look at ambulance systems as a provider of quick and alternative primary health care. We need to raise the value of these systems and formulate legislations and policies specifically designed to inculcate a sub-culture more respecting and tending towards ambulance systems. In most school curricular around the world, children are not taught much about ambulance and it’s role in our lives. So that entire generations grow with believe that ambulance systems belong to the meek and those who cannot get employed elsewhere. Most ambulance departments source workers from voluntary people who may not be there full time. We need a paradigm shift. It should be fully incorporated in government projections for development. Governments should also design programmes that specifically target school children through curricular alongside normal lessons. People should grow knowing well that one can also spend a life time as a care giver. This can only happen if there is significant funding by the bodies that run them. Most ambulance services suffer because there is not enough money to run it. In developed countries like Europe and North America, ambulance services are well developed. Elsewhere around the world, corruption has taken it's toll on funding for this important aspect of primary health care. If more funding is given to ambulance systems and it is able to draw a significant amount of human resource, then the next logical thing to do is conduct rigorous training in order to equip personnel with skill to be effective in managing emergencies. More people are now vulnerable to both natural and man-made disasters in the 21rst century than at any other time before in history. Whether governments and NGOs like it or not, investment in the ambulance system is inevitable. All the signs are there that the world is in more turmoil than ever before. More people are living in cities than ever before, stretching the ever meager resources. More people are now living in the coastal towns (resorts) especially the affluent in society than ever before. There are more wars fought in cities today than ever before. As society becomes more urbanised, so is terrorism. More bombs are being detonated today than at any other time. You never really know when one is going to go off. In most developing countries, growth in population has outstripped the support of infrastructures that was installed over decades past. Corruption in these countries also means that new infrastructure that is setup is poor. What you get is poor road net work, perennial traffic jams and unworkable ambulance systems. Most fire brigades in developing countries suffer the lack or no water. Those that seem to work are shoddy and inefficient. All these point to one thing that I have discussed above; poor budgetary allocation. This is my reasoning why change must be effected to meet the expected need. What needs to be done To attract and retain manpower that can cope well in these scenarios, organisations and governments have to invest in attractive packages. It is not a question of whether people would want to be there or not. Rather, people need assurances that they can still live a better life as emergency care givers. So should people be motivated to think this way? Incentives work wonders. In developed countries such as the United States, farmers get subsidies to boost agricultural output for export. People should be encouraged to look at careers in this sector by giving them favours. It is an invaluable investment for the future what the ever present likelihood of catastrophic disasters. Changes occur only if people are educated and made to see the need for change. But again, even if people are enlightened to change, it takes resources to make any meaningful change. A policy shift would be a good starting point. Ambulance systems are poor and inefficient in most of the world’s capitals because they lack human capital. As I said before, we need a generational change. Children should now be encouraged to take have careers in care giving. Previously, this has been left to willing people to take. People of faith like mother Teresa of Calcutta and her ilk were the face of care giving. We have seen that the trend in disasters is heading in only one direction, an upward trend. Only the optimists will think that the world be a saver place. Trends in disaster management show that more investment is needed. Bibliography William L.W, 1999, Living with Hazards, Dealing with Disasters: An introduction to Emergency, M.E Sharpe. International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 2002, World Disasters Report, Geneva. Brian E Tucker, Mustafa Erdik, Christina N.H et al, 1994, Issues in Urban Earthquake Risk, Routledge. Piers M.B, 1994 At Risk: Natural Hazards, People’s Vulnerability and Disasters, Routledge. Keith Smith, 2000, Environmental Hazards: Assessing Risk and Reducing Disaster, Routledge. Elders J 2001, Measuring Community Awareness and Preparedness for emergencies, Australian Journal of Emergency Management. G. Van der Vink, R.M. Allen, J. Chapin et al, 2001, Why the United States of America is Becoming More Vulnerable to Natural Disasters. ES&H Manual, 3510-T8, Emergency Drills, Jefferson Lab- rev. Nov 16 2001 Read More