Bahrain’s medical transportation services are set to take to the skies, with air ambulances expected to be introduced in the near future.
Work is underway to launch the services, which would significantly reduce the response time of medical professionals dealing with emergencies, thereby saving lives, according to a report in the January 2025 issue of the Interior Ministry’s Al Amn magazine.
“The National Ambulance Centre is distinguished by its specialised teams that deal with emergency situations immediately and effectively round the clock,” the report pointed out.
“Work is currently in progress to inaugurate air ambulances in the country. It will consist of helicopters stocked with the necessary medical equipment to meet the needs of patients and injured people in various circumstances.”
Air ambulances would decrease response time from an average of 15 minutes to just five minutes.
While no timeline was given by the ministry, they are expected to be officially launched later this year.
In November last year, Interior Minister General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa revealed plans to introduce air and sea ambulances in Bahrain, during a comprehensive dialogue with the editors-in-chief of local newspapers, as reported in the GDN.
There are currently 12 ambulance centres and three ambulance points, with plans to increase the number of centres to 21 to accommodate the new air ambulances, along with sea ambulances, in the future.
Artificial intelligence could be deployed to further streamline ambulance management, and smart ambulances are predicted to play a major role in the future, the report added.
The National Ambulance Centre’s achievements and future plans
On average, there has been 155 cases per day and 1,090 per week.
In total, over the past six years, 246,332 reports were dealt with by the National Ambulance Centre.
Other directorates and agencies will also play a major role in assisting the launch and operation of the new service.
“The Police Aviation Command will play an important role in supporting, assisting, and providing humanitarian services, responding to calls and participating in ambulance operations,” Al Amn magazine said.
“A total of 913 fly-throughs were held in 2024 in eight modern aircraft to hone officers’ skills.
“In total, more than 30,000 flights of one hour or more were held in the past 20 years.”
Last month, Gen Shaikh Rashid and Airbus Helicopters global business executive vice-president Olivier Michalon signed a purchase contract for helicopters, with multi-technical roles in police aviation.
The aircraft will enhance public security with its advanced capabilities in handling emergency medical services and law enforcement.
The minister expressed his appreciation and thanks to His Majesty King Hamad for his royal directives that contributed to improving police performance and reinforcing the security and modernisation journey.
He valued the support and care of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to develop security performance and tackle challenges with the required competency and readiness.
Air ambulance services will follow what has been a successful launch of motorcycle ambulance services, which will play a big role in cutting response time in emergency situations, especially in neighbourhoods with narrow alleyways.
The First Responder Ambulance Motorcycle Service, officially launched towards the end of last month, comes as part of efforts to provide immediate help for people across Bahrain, especially in situations where every second counts.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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