In a quiet atmosphere after the stores were closed in one of the commercial complexes, and with a limited number of visitors, a distress sound was made by ambulance, after a sudden fall of a person who was accompanied by his relatives. The scene confused the attendees, as emergency situations often put everyone in front of the behavior test.
In seconds, a number of the council’s visitors rushed to help; Some took the initiative to contact the national ambulance more than once, and others tried to calm the patients of the patient and reassure them, while the security men took over the situation. The minute seemed to be ten minutes, especially since the patient, according to the statement of his relatives, was not suffering from any previous health problems, but the accident was accompanied by sudden cramps that increased anxiety.
Minutes before the national ambulance staff arrived, one of the paramedics in the complex entered, presented the first aid, then the official medical teams received the case, and they were transferred to the hospital after confirming its stability.
This incident brought back an important question to the forefront: Are commercial complexes and public facilities ready to deal with emergency cases? Do you have qualified paramedics or permanent and integrated clinics? The absence of preliminary medical expertise for the public and security men may make the most basic cases a complex and possibly dangerous situation.
In this context, the Minister of Health, Dr. Jalila El -Sayed, had issued a decision last month to obligate employers to provide qualified persons to provide first aid, and to equip the workplaces with appropriate equipment and ambulances, taking into account the number of workers and the nature of potential risks. The decision also stipulated the training of specific employees by at least one paramedic for every twenty workers, and their names are appointed in a special record, in addition to providing an easy -to -accessed first aid fund.
Although the decision is mainly targeting the workplace, the commercial complex incident highlights the urgent need to generalize this requirement to include commercial centers and public facilities, so that the presence of a qualified paramedic is part of the basic safety requirements.
Time in critical situations is not measured in minutes, but by breath, and the presence of a trained person may be the separation between saving life and its loss.
