Non-COVID Medical emergencies, need different protocol
Yesterday I had to take my 88 year old mother for a non-COVID medical emergency to the emergency/casualty section of a private hospital where she normally goes to.
Her condition cannot be addressed by first aid at home or long distance consultation, though I did exhaust those possibilities before I decided to take her into emergency on advise from the doctor. She had to be attended to in the next one hour.
We obviously did not have an emergency pass and could not get one on the e-pass system.
I called a local police station, where an officer explained to me very politely that to get a pass I would have to take the Doctors advise on whatsapp to the PS of my jurisdiction. This would be too cumbersome and time consumimg.
So I decided to take an ambulance to the hospital, though she could have been taken by a regular car. We also had but no choice but return by ambulance.
I would like to make the following suggestions based on my experience for medical emergencies which are not of the COVID type and which do not require an ambulance because going forward getting an ambulance may also be extremely difficult and it should be available to those who cannot sit in a regular car.
1) Let the patient travel in a personal car with all her/his medical papers file and a message on the phone from the Doctor who is advising that the patient be brought into emergency. Doctors credentials in terms of hospital and registration number could also be mentioned in the message. This message could be shown to the Police at various checkpoints. The Police should allow the vehicle to pass through based on this message.
2) For those who do not have a personal vehicle, the government could tie up with OLA/ UBER service to pick up and drop the patient to the hospital. The suggestion is that a fleet of cars from OLA/ UBER be used for non-COVID emergencies. These cars can be given a special sticker "ON HOSPITAL DUTY".
The same documentation as explained above can be carried by the patient who is using the service.
We would also be ensuring that ambulances are available for COVID patients and those who cannot travel in any other form of transport.
Sindhu Naik <sindhunaik@gmail.com>sindhunaik@gmail.com> more
Her condition cannot be addressed by first aid at home or long distance consultation, though I did exhaust those possibilities before I decided to take her into emergency on advise from the doctor. She had to be attended to in the next one hour.
We obviously did not have an emergency pass and could not get one on the e-pass system.
I called a local police station, where an officer explained to me very politely that to get a pass I would have to take the Doctors advise on whatsapp to the PS of my jurisdiction. This would be too cumbersome and time consumimg.
So I decided to take an ambulance to the hospital, though she could have been taken by a regular car. We also had but no choice but return by ambulance.
I would like to make the following suggestions based on my experience for medical emergencies which are not of the COVID type and which do not require an ambulance because going forward getting an ambulance may also be extremely difficult and it should be available to those who cannot sit in a regular car.
1) Let the patient travel in a personal car with all her/his medical papers file and a message on the phone from the Doctor who is advising that the patient be brought into emergency. Doctors credentials in terms of hospital and registration number could also be mentioned in the message. This message could be shown to the Police at various checkpoints. The Police should allow the vehicle to pass through based on this message.
2) For those who do not have a personal vehicle, the government could tie up with OLA/ UBER service to pick up and drop the patient to the hospital. The suggestion is that a fleet of cars from OLA/ UBER be used for non-COVID emergencies. These cars can be given a special sticker "ON HOSPITAL DUTY".
The same documentation as explained above can be carried by the patient who is using the service.
We would also be ensuring that ambulances are available for COVID patients and those who cannot travel in any other form of transport.
Sindhu Naik <sindhunaik@gmail.com>sindhunaik@gmail.com> more
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With an ambulance, the police will not stop to check. It could happen if going by own vehicle and cause delay. If no ambulance is available, then only one should go with own vehicle preferably with a letter from doctor or at least an advise on WhatsApp bown vie y the doctor to go hospital. These are tiring times and there is no one single solution as each policeman takes his view of the orders given to him by authorities. more
Mar 31
As per my knowledge. For medical emergency u do not need any kind of Pass? more
Mar 31
I called the police and they said you do. So only option is an ambulance. But I feel using an ambulance for a person who can go in a car will mean that those who really need may not get it. It is ok now but if COVID numbers increase even the existing ambulances may not be able to service patients more
Mar 31
