Emergency medical services

A concerning new trend has emerged from the WHO Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care (SSA) in Ukraine: Ambulance workers and other personnel servicing health transport face a risk of injury and death three times higher than that of other health care service workers.  

In a distressing incident in the Dobrich region of Bulgaria, an elderly man lost his life following a road accident, prompting scrutiny over the delayed arrival of emergency medical services. The unfortunate event unfolded when the male driver, feeling unwell, veered the car into a ditch, accompanied by his family.

During the strike, only the flights provided for by the current legal framework will be served, i.e. only air ambulance services.

In a significant development for emergency medical services, the inaugural officially registered helipad in Sofia has been integrated into the national air ambulance system. Transport Minister Georgi Gvozdeykov presented the documents to the director of St. Anna's Hospital in Sofia on January 22, formalizing the helipad's inclusion in the emergency air ambulance service.

Transport Minister Georgi Gvozdeikov declared the readiness of Bulgaria's inaugural medical helicopter during a recent interview on Nova TV. Gvozdeikov shared that the helicopter, designed to meet the highest standards for emergency care, is set to be transported from Italy to Bulgaria next week, with assurance from Italian manufacturers that it will arrive by the end of January.

Bulgaria marked a significant milestone as the country's inaugural air ambulance helicopter, crafted by the esteemed Italian company "Leonardo," emerged from production and was dispatched for comprehensive testing, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Health.

Health and ambulance services on the islands are struggling to respond to increased needs with scarce capabilities in August for yet another summer. 

Mykonos, Paros, Santorini, Samos and Chios have just one ambulance operating around the clock and a second operating a few days a month. 

Within the scope of the works of the Health Ministry, motorcycle ambulances have been introduced to provide emergency healthcare services to patients within minutes, especially in zones where traffic jams are frequent.

Health professionals are protesting a government decision to use uniformed personnel in the transport of patients in island and mountainous areas which have ambulance staff shortages.

The decision, they say, will compromise safety protocols as ambulance crews must have special training and certification.

Greece's National Healthcare System, or ESY, is in dire need of a comprehensive overhaul. The issue at hand goes beyond mere allocation of resources or recruitment. Without taking bold measures, all efforts will be futile and lead to a dead end.