With reference to the reports circulated by some newspapers regarding the validity of the new ambulance vehicles purchased recently by the Ministry of Health, it has to be clarified hereby that the said vehicles are manufactured by a national factory in cooperation with some specialized international companies. The factory is specialized in preparing ambulance vehicles in accordance with international standards. But ambulances are not wholly manufactured by a single company. Instead, a company usually produces vans or car chassis, which are modified to ambulances by other specialized companies.
The Ministry of Health would like to inform also that the said ambulances are Type 1 ambulances in which the patient cabin is separated from the driver cabin, communications between them being carried out through intercoms or light signals indicating the state of the patient. The said vehicles have been prepared in accordance with the international kkk-a-1822E specifications for ambulance vehicles and FMVSS specifications regarding security measures.
The Ministry of Health would like once more to confirm that caution is taken regarding the purpose for which any required vehicles are used as well as the types of cases to be transported. Some heavily equipped vehicles, the price of which is SR330 thousand, are allocated to hospitals, whereas the normally equipped vehicles, such as those secured by the Ministry of Health, are allocated for covering as much health centers as possible, their price being SR103 thousand.
Furthermore, the said vehicles, being served by diesel, are suitable for the requirements of ambulance services.
Finally, the Ministry of Health would like to stress its adherence to providing the best quality health service in line with the support offered by the government.