Yes, It’s An Emergency

at


This morning.

On Cork’s 96FM Opinion Line with PJ Coogan.

Dee writes:

Corkwoman Elaine Daly (53) had a painfull fall outside her home in Larchfield, Cork City yesterday morning in freezing temperatures.

Her neighbour Vickie Thompson phoned an ambulance at 8.15am. When they called an hour later to ask why the ambulance had not come, the dispatcher responded that one was on the way and would take a further 105 minutes.

A Cork ambulance team, which came on duty at 10am and was reassigned the call, arrived at roughly 10.40 and informed them that the original ambulance dispatched was on its way ….from Dublin.

96FM

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8 thoughts on “Yes, It’s An Emergency

  1. postmanpat

    painfull fall eh? pity no one has cars in cork to take people to hospital. Hope she’s not in pain anymore. What wonderful story of civic responsibility. intelligence and good old fashioned gumption from all parties involved . bravo everyone!

    1. :-Joe

      Ye sure, you would think something better could have been arranged by someone faster…

      However, plenty of people are in a situation without a car or other transport and/or don’t have anyone nearby to help them.

      If you’re in Cork and can’t get an ambulance within an hour, it has to travel from Dublin and this is not a unique random unfortunate event then there is a lot that’s gone seriously wrong in the health system…

      :-J

    2. Stephen

      I am surprised when they rang back after an hour and were told it would be another hour they didn’t decide to try and arrange something themselves but that in now way excuses that sort of a wait.
      Come on it Cork city not the up the mountains or the back arse of Mayo an ambulance should not take that long.
      Also we don’t know extent of injuries in some cases you do not want to move the injured in case of causing more damage.

    3. Slightly Bemused

      It also depends on what the reason was. If it was a serious fall with a fracture or potential spinal injury, using a car could destroy the chances of recovery. If life was not immediately threatened, but the injury not one that could be simply put in the back of a car, better to wait where you are until the experts arrive.

      I used be a volunteer ambulance driver/emergency responder, and while we could deal with a lot of situations, there are some that need a fully trained EMT team or paramedic. Protocol was that if it was one of a series of particular injuries, we stayed and stabilised, but waited for the true professionals. I imagine this was likely the case here.

      The National Ambulance Service is a wonderful body, but they are vastly underfunded and under resourced, just like so many other elements of our health service. But of one thing you can be sure: once they arrive on scene, they will do all in their power to help the person injured, and will not leave until the situation is resolved. This is one reason ambulances stay so long at our under-resourced Emergency departments: they will not leave the patient until they can be properly handed over.

      I have seen one EMT stay for nearly 4 hours stabilising the head of a person with a suspected spinal injury until the right equipment could be brought (it was a remote location). They will complain, and they have a great sense of gallows humour, but they will not leave their patient until they hand over to someone more qualified, such as an A&E dept.

    1. Slightly Bemused

      Now, mc, relax. I would imagine it is more ‘cue and explanation from NAS, and an apology’, but from the politicians, I would agree.

    2. Steph Pinker

      Bemused – you’re not the only one who volunteers in the local community for the benefit of society or the betterment of others, medically or otherwise. It’s grand to make yourself feel better by getting a +1 on BS/ FB etc… but when the reality of life literally means seconds, where does your self preservation lie then?

      If you’ve been ever been with someone who’s dying, you’d understand exactly the frustration, upset and vulnerability that has been expressed above; as in, the lack of resources – even though we’re [again] one of the wealthiest countries in Europe. You talk so much about your travels throughout the world and all the good you’ve done for others, so much so, you feel the need to regularly opine on BS – why aren’t you still doing it in the present instead of reminiscing about your halcyon poverty stricken days?

      It’s not all about you, even though you like to mention how much it is.

      There is no reason for anyone to be waiting for and ambulance from Dublin to Cork.

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