A shortage of ambulance crews and ambulances is seriously impacting the 112 emergency service, Yeniduzen reports.
Head of the Civil Servants Union (KTAMS) Güven Bengihan stated that the ambulance service was unable to keep up with the population growth. He added that the way the ambulance service had been impacted increased the workload and stress on the existing crews.
“In addition to the lack of personnel, the number of ambulances is low, and the existing ambulances are old, poorly maintained and inadequately equipped. Therefore, emergency cases cannot be provided with adequate and timely service”.
He said that the government had made a series of excuses as to why this matter had not been dealt with.
Yeniduzen asked the Minister of Health, Hakan Dinçyürek, about the shortages. Dinçyürek said that they were waiting for the “Paramedic Organisation Law” to come into force and for “ambulance procurement” for employment regarding the personnel shortage. Regarding the lack of ambulances, he said, “We put out a tender for an ambulance, but no one applied“.
The lack of ambulance and paramedic crews cannot keep up with the ever-increasing population, and the number of sudden deaths claimed to be due to this problem is increasing daily.
KTAMS, the union which represents ambulance personnel, says that the number of ambulances and paramedics must be increased as a matter of urgency, and the government only makes different excuses.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Central Tender Commission, Salih Canseç, referring to the ambulance tender said, “The price set for the tender was probably not liked” and announced that they “renewed the tender“.
However, KTAMS president Güven Bengihan argued that there was no need to wait for the “Paramedic Organisation Law”, pointing out that the Public Health Workers Law provides the authority to hire temporary civil servants for emergencies.
Bengihan said, “They provide employment whenever they want. The Public Health Workers Act has the authority to hire temporary civil servants for emergencies. “They can solve the paramedic personnel problem instead of hiring their own supporters as temporary workers“, he said.
