When someone is believed to be having a heart attack, every second counts when getting to the hospital. That is why The Ambulance Service in Qatar has partnered with the Heart Hospital to outfit ambulances with medical telemetryequipment.
“This new equipment will streamline the process of transmitting information about the patient to the doctor who will be receiving the patient at Heart Hospital and ensure more informed clinical decisions can be made in advance and therefore treatment for the patient can begin sooner,” Dr. Loua Al Shaikh, chief physician of the Ambulance Service, told AMEinfo.com.
The Ambulance Service has fitted 60 vehicles with Life Pack 15 machines. The device transmits a patient’s ECG, or electrocardiograph, which charts the electrical activity of the patient’s heart, to doctors in the hospital so they can plan the best course of action when the patient finally arrives in the emergency room.
"It not only speeds up the diagnosis of the patient but also allows us to be prepared as we are receiving a full picture of the patient's condition,” said Dr. Abdulrazak A. Gehani, chairman of cardiology at the Heart Hospital.
The device also transmits the patient’s blood pressure, heart rhythm and the amount of oxygen in the blood. The hospital plans even more technological improvements regarding the use of medical telemetry.
"The Heart Hospital receives a large number of patients on daily basis and has developed very advanced programs and services of world-class medical and coronary interventions. The number of procedures is in line with international figures and standards. An enhanced version of the system where the ECG will simultaneously be transmitted to the smartphone of the cardiologist who is on call, will be introduced soon," Dr. Gehani added.
The Ambulance Service is also advising people to dial 999, the emergency number in Qatar, to call an ambulance, and is stressing the importance of knowing the address from where people are calling so that ambulance drivers can find them.
Edited by
Blaise McNamee
