“Motorcycle Ambulance” the Policy to Promote Health and Sustainable Development in Large Cities

Abstract

Motorcycles can be considered a new form of smart vehicle when taking into account their small and modern structure and due to the fact that nowadays they are used in the new role of ambu-lance to rapidly reach emergency patients in large cities with traffic congestion. However, there is no study regarding the measuring of access time for motorcycle ambulances in large cities of Thailand. Therefore, this study aims to compare access times to patients between motorcycle ambulances and conventional ambulances, including analysis of the use of AED installed on motorcycle ambulances to contribute to the sustainable development of public health policies. In two hundred and seventy-one operations, it was found that the times from dispatch to vehicle (ambulance and motorlance) being en route and times from the 1669 center (center for com-mand-and-control EMS in Thailand) call receipt to arrival on scene (response time) of motorcycle ambulances was shorter than that of a conventional ambulance and the use of AED on a motor-cycle ambulance can increase the chances of survival for patients with cardiac arrest outside the hospital in public places where AEDs are not available and in all cases where access to an AED was less than eight minutes.

Optimizing Operation Time and Travel Distance for Motorcycle Ambulances in Emergency Medical Services

“…This is different from the number of personnel operating on van ambulances, which require at least three personnel. 2,7 Therefore, the time to start with a motorcycle is quicker. Another reason is the geography around the hospital in a 10-kilometer range.…”

“…To solve these problems, a new type of ambulance used a motorcycle model designed for access through congested areas, constrained spaces, or difficult terrain much more quickly and easily than bigger four-wheeled vehicles. 2,3 The model of motorcycle ambulance has been developed sequentially, initially being used in African countries with limited resources to transfer the patient from the community hospital into a central hospital by focusing on delivering patients with problems in obstetrics and gynecology. The use of this vehicle aimed to transfer pregnant women with labor period from rural areas to a hospital which manages this condition.…”