Private ambulances offer a different level of service
I refer to the letters “1777 service reviewing its payment process” (July 3) and “What if one is unable to pay S$100 at once for 1777 call?” (June 29).
The word “ambulance” originates from Latin, relating to the word for walking. At its core, an ambulance service is a specialised service for the sick. Private ambulance services are differentiated from what ordinary transport services provide.
For example, our vehicles are equipped to carry patients on stretchers and wheelchairs. Staff are trained to transfer patients on and off them. We also have oxygen for patients with breathing difficulties.
All our personnel are trained in first aid. We send as many of our staff as possible to Emergency Medical Technician courses, even though this is not required. Each ambulance has at least two staff members: A driver and a medic, both medically trained.
We are not subsidised by the Government, and we pay the 1777 Call Centre a fee for each successful ambulance case referral.. As we are a business, we must charge for the service.
Inevitably, because of the equipment and additional headcount in each vehicle, the private ambulance service costs significantly more than a taxi ride.
Some patients prefer private ambulances because, unlike the SCDF, we are not obliged by policy to take patients to the nearest public hospital.
We have taken patients to private hospitals, a more distant hospital, clinics, nursing homes and even funerals, weddings and concerts. The level of service and training differs among operators, so the public should look for one they trust.
We are open to engaging the Government in exploring alternative payment options, although it would have to consider the private nature of the business and the livelihoods of the workers it supports.
Currently, private ambulance fees are not claimable from Medisave, MediShield and some private insurance.
We always recommend that members of the public use the 995 hotline in emergency cases. Customers are free, however, to engage private ambulance services if they feel the 995 hotline does not meet their needs.
CLARIFICATION: In a previous version of this letter, Ms Sim mentioned that Private Ambulance Operators (PAOs) have to pay the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) a fee to be part of the 1777 Non-Emergency Ambulance Services (NEAS) network. This statement is incorrect. PAOs under the 1777 NEAS network are only required to pay a service fee to the 1777 Call Centre for each successful ambulance case referral.
