The number of requests for urgent medical assistance increased by about four thousand in the last week
The number of requests for emergency medical assistance has increased considerably, states the National Center for Emergency Medical Care (CNAMUP). If in November, an estimated 14,000 requests were registered weekly, then between December 19 and 25 - about 18,000.
The ambulance intervention was most frequently requested for patients with respiratory diseases. "The increase in the number of requests was caused by patients with respiratory problems, which constituted 33% of the total number of requests served in the reference period. In most cases, health problems could be solved by timely addressing the family doctor, given the fact that a considerable part of the calls were recorded during the working hours of the primary healthcare service", states CNAMUP. Overloading the emergency service creates an unjustified waiting list, the institution also states. *"Serving non-urgent requests can simultaneously cause situations in which patients with major medical-surgical emergencies in critical situations (cardio-respiratory arrest, acute coronary syndrome, stroke, shock, polytrauma, etc.) cannot be served prompt and operative," the quoted source said. In this context, citizens are urged to call for an ambulance in cases of imminent danger to health and life.
