Traffic jams are the main obstacle

Taking extra care: Medical assistants ensuring the ambulance is properly equipped in the event of an emergency at a hotspot in Sunway, Subang Jaya.

PETALING JAYA: Time is of the essence when saving lives.

But there are times when ambulances rushing to the aid of patients are literally faced with a challenging road ahead.

While most motorists are considerate enough to give way to ambulances, traffic jams are still the main stumbling block for help to arrive sooner.

Ironically, using the emergency lanes on highways is not a good option for ambulances as they are normally filled with civilian vehicles.

“Ambulances have stopped trying to use emergency lanes because of this.

“We have no choice but to use the middle lanes and weave through traffic,” said Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah (HTAR) ambulance supervisor and assistant medical officer Khairussabri Mohd Zin.

He said traffic jams could slow down ambulances by up to 45 minutes.

On May 22, two motorcyclists were involved in an accident at the 228th kilometre of the North-South Expressway near Simpang Ampat in Alor Gajah, which caused a jam.

An ambulance rushing to the scene could not get there as several vehicles were using the emergency lane and blocked the vehicle. Both the accident victims died.

The two could have survived had they received emergency treatment earlier.

Khairussabri, who is also operations coordinator for the pilot “hot spot” project in HTAR, Klang, said other reasons for delays include callers giving wrong or incomplete addresses.

“It is even tougher if the location is in a village which goes by lot numbers. Some callers from accidents on highways are also unable to tell us the kilometre number, making it a bit tougher for us to find the site,” he said.

Another common challenge is the “ambulance chasers” or motorists who tailgate an ambulance as it weaves through heavy traffic.

“Some follow us closely behind because we cut through the jam.

“But when we brake, some end up ramming us from the back,” Khairussabri said, adding that some even ended up needing medical help from the officers in the ambulance.

“Most are motorcyclists,” he said.