EMIRATIS SOUGHT FOR AMBULANCES
Former members of national service sought to man the ambulances
Former members of national services wanted for Northern Emirates,
ABU DHABI // Former recruits of the national service will be targeted in a recruitment drive for Emirati ambulance staff, particularly in the Northern Emirates.
The National Ambulance service is hoping to increase the number of nationals working as first responders by offering a free, nine- month training course leading to a career as a paramedic.
Candidates will be given a test at a new national training centre in Sharjah. At present, fewer than 1 per cent of ambulance service personnel are Emirati. “Becoming a paramedic is about training yourself for the day when a patient grabs your hand to save him,” said Ahmed Al Hajeri, deputy chief executive of National Ambulance.
“We call on Emiratis to join this field as the health sector’s demand for paramedics is growing.
“A total of 34 Emirati paramedics work in Abu Dhabi and 56 in Dubai, while there are none in the Northern Emirates.”
Mr Al Hajeri said that working as a paramedic was an important way for young Emiratis to give back to their country. The training programme will be open to those who have at least a general secondary school certificate, a driving licence and have completed national service.
Classes will start in September and run until the start of next year at the University of Sharjah’s College of Medicine. Emiratis will learn the skills needed to provide the full range of emergency care. Last year, National Ambulance’s 50 vehicles responded to more than 66,000 emergency calls in the Northern Emirates – 2,019 in Umm Al Quwain, 6,561 in Fujairah, 9,997 in Ras Al Khaimah, 11,557 in Ajman and 36,126 calls in Sharjah. “The training programme includes modules designed to build students’ knowledge and skills in providing pre- hospi- tal emergency care,” said Prof Qutayba Hamid, vice chancellor of medical and health sciences at the university.
Students will be tutored by working paramedics from National Ambulance and taught classes based on the curriculum from Charles Sturt University in Australia.
“Academic staff from our internationally renowned paramedicine programme have worked closely with National Ambulance,” said Rod Hill, the university’s head of biomedical sciences.
The programme is part of the Government’s efforts to accelerate Emiratisation in health care.
“This is part of many programmes that will serve the Northern Emirates and the UAE as a whole,” said Prof Hamid. National Ambulance was launched on February 24, 2014 and operates around the clock, 365 days a year. It handles public medical emergencies and provides pre-hospital care to people across the Northern Emirates.
Last year, the service launched a smartphone app for requesting ambulances direct from the National Ambulance’s Communications Centre at the touch of a button.
Trained staff send an ambulance directly to the scene using GPS tracking.
This is part of many programmes that will serve the Northern Emirates and the UAE as a whole Prof Qutayba Hamid vice chancellor of medical and health sciences at Sharjah University