When it comes to first responders in the emergency medical services, getting somewhere and reaching somewhere quickly define two factors. It can be the difference between life and death, or between severe pain and relief for a patient. That’s when an ambucycle comes in time.
What is Ambucycle?
An ambucycle is a motorcycle, equipped with a broad range of emergency medical equipment and supplies. It is used as a first response vehicle in some countries like Israel and Britain due to its ability to weave through heavy traffic. An ambucycle and its medic rider can reach the scene of an accident in an average of 90 seconds. That’s light speed compared to the 20-30 minutes for a traditional ambulance to reach the same destination while dealing with traffic congestion and road closures.
Eli Beer, Founder of United Hatzalah
The Ambucycle is the innovation of Eli Beer, the founder of United Hatzalah. At age 15, he took his first EMT course and began volunteering with an ambulance service in Israel. However, he quickly realized that every minute passed between leaving the station to arriving at a patient’s door was a lifetime. So at the age of 17, he assembled a group of EMTs and a handful of emergency radio receivers to rush medical attention to those in need – sometimes on foot.
Today, 25 years later, Beer’s team of the first responder has evolved into United Hatzalah. It involves a 2,000-volunteer army of medical technicians that can deploy on a moment’s notice. In just the last year, the organization helped 207,000 patients, over 40,000 of which were treated for life-threatening emergencies. United Hatzalah has trained volunteer medics throughout Israel who complete 180 hours of classroom instruction and 100 hours of field training before being certified. They always keep a bright orange vest and backpack with medical equipment close at hand because they never know when they’ll be called on to save a life.
A faster alternative
The use of ambucycles for the first response has proven to be a critical link in the emergency chain of survival. With the rapid growing of transport and logistics in various fields, it is possible for Malaysia to step up its game and allowing healthcare delivery to a greater change in the healthcare system.