THE HEALTH Ministry plans to upgrade Cyprus’ ambulance service with 10 new vehicles in a bid to achieve the EU’s vision of a 50 per cent decrease in road fatalities by the end of 2010.
“Apart from policing and precautionary measures, we need to improve our system, especially regarding patients’ care and their quick transportation to hospital,” said Health Minister Christos Patsalides yesterday.
He added that proper treatment by paramedics at the scene of the accident, as well as swift transportation to the hospital, could mean the difference between life and death.
“I had the misfortune to visit the Accidents and Emergency rooms of Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol and Paphos General Hospitals. It is there that you will witness what happens on our roads every day,” said Patsalides. “The hospitals are full of young people in comas with serious head injuries.”
Referring to the government’s EU commitment to reduce road deaths by 50 per cent until the year 2010, the minister said “we all have a duty – to ourselves and our fellow civilians – to achieve this reduction”.
Patsalides stressed the vital role paramedics play at the scene of an accident, adding that this was why the ministry had organised special 18-month training courses, as well as purchased 10 new ambulances.
The ministry has also decided to create Trauma Clinics, which will treat road accident victims, quicker and more effectively. A committee has already been appointed to examine the matter and prepare a law proposal, said Patsalides.
According to a spokesman for the police, there have so far been 72 fatal road accidents in 2008, resulting in 75 deaths.
This is a slight improvement compared to the same period last year, when there were 82 fatal accidents and 83 deaths.
Of the 75 deaths, 25 were youths under the age of 25; a percentage of 33.3 per cent.
Around 63 per cent of motorcyclists who died on the island’s roads in the past five years were not wearing a helmet and 49 per cent were under 25 years old.
From 2003 until 2007, there were 14,584 road accidents and 14,118 injuries, along with 491 deaths, which made up 3.47 per cent of all road accidents.
The police representative said Cyprus has so far achieved a 10 per cent decrease in road deaths, but is still a long way away from reaching the EU target of a 50 per cent reduction until the year 2010.
