Quiet ambulance driving profession
Every ambulance running on the road, everyone knows that in that car a patient is in the middle of a battle for survival, in that car along with the doctor, nurse, and driver are also tense and under pressure in the fight for the patient's life.
(Baonghean) -Every ambulance running on the road, everyone knows that in that car a patient is in the middle of a battle for survival, in that car along with the doctor, nurse, and driver are also tense and under pressure in the fight for the patient's life.
When starting out as an ambulance driver, the first thing any driver must learn is to try to memorize the route. From finding the patient’s home address to choosing the shortest, most convenient route to transport the patient, the driver must know every route, because every minute of delay means the patient’s chance of survival is reduced.
Next, any driver needs to get used to the sound of the green and red ambulance sirens. The deafening, cold sound of the ambulance siren makes the listener and passersby feel the chills. However, for ambulance drivers, it is a companion, a powerful assistant in their work. Finally, get used to the heaviest pressure, the pressure of "speed". Every driving profession has its own pressure, the pressure of an ambulance driver is "speed".
Ambulance arrived on the scene in time.
Normally, after receiving a call that a patient needs emergency care, it is 2 to 5 minutes before we immediately take the wheel and drive to the scene, the faster the better. Mr. Nguyen Trung Thong, Head of the Emergency Transport Team, 115 General Hospital, said: “Our mission is to get the patient to the treatment facility as quickly as possible to help save lives, but how to do it quickly and safely is not easy. If we are quick but careless, we can easily have an accident, which is no different from causing harm to ourselves and others.”
When in the hospital, the patient's life depends on the medical team. When on the road, the patient's life depends a lot on the ambulance driver. Getting to the hospital quickly, sometimes just one minute can save a life. Although there is the assistance of emergency lights and sirens, ambulances are not given maximum priority on the road. Many road users do not give way to the ambulance's siren when they hear it, and many young people even block the way. Situations where road users intentionally encroach on the priority lane or make unexpected turns by people who do not comply with traffic laws are not uncommon. Facing sudden acceleration, sudden braking, skidding, or using all their strength to turn the steering wheel to avoid an accident are daily occurrences for ambulance drivers, especially during rush hour.
Drivers who take patients to provincial hospitals are already under a lot of pressure, but the pressure on drivers who are tasked with taking patients from provincial hospitals to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City for treatment is much greater. Traveling hundreds of kilometers on the road, drivers have almost no time to rest, have to eat quickly, shorten all activities to the minimum if the patient's condition becomes more critical, eating bread instead of meals is a common thing. Stress and fatigue from staying up all night, long journeys... are inevitable, but you still have to stay alert to reach your destination safely and as soon as possible.
Ambulance driving is a profession that has no concept of time, no days off, no breaks. The phone is always on 24/7, at night when sleeping, the phone is placed right next to the head so that when it rings, they will wake up immediately. Regardless of the time, holidays or Tet, rain or storm, day or night..., they must always be ready, when receiving a phone call, they will immediately go on the road. It is not uncommon for ambulance drivers to celebrate New Year's Eve and Tet with colleagues, medical staff, doctors and patients' families on the ambulance. Mr. Thong said: "Doing this job requires a high sense of responsibility and heart, because it requires great endurance, even many drivers have to put family feelings aside to carry out their duties. Some brothers only get to sleep 3-4 nights a month, and are on duty every other night. Even though they are scheduled to have a day off, they are ready to go immediately when there is work."
Unlike what many people think, ambulance drivers are not just drivers, it is common for ambulance drivers to come into contact with blood and sick people. Especially in cases of traffic accidents, when receiving a call from a passerby, the driver rolls up his sleeves to help and carry the injured person into the car, even carrying a corpse is not uncommon. Many times, ambulance teams have transported bodies that are in a state of decomposition, especially those who died far away, victims of crimes, suicides... requiring the driver to have nerves of steel. Not only good at driving, the profession of an ambulance driver also requires certain knowledge of medicine. Because in addition to good driving skills, depending on the condition of the patient, the driver will have different ways of driving. In cases of spinal injuries, broken limbs... it is necessary to drive smoothly, reduce speed, avoid causing shock, and reduce pain for the patient. Particularly in cases of stroke, traumatic brain injury... we must try to run as fast as possible because every minute is precious for these diseases, the faster we can, the higher the hope of saving the patient's life, reducing future sequelae.
Mr. Dang Ba Dung, with more than 31 years of driving an ambulance at the Vietnam - Poland - Nghe An Friendship General Hospital, shared: "The entire hospital's ambulance team has 4 brothers. On holidays like this, 100% of the staff are on duty. It's hard to stay up all night, but everyone tries to fulfill their duties and is ready to serve the patients. It's normal for the brothers to celebrate Tet in the car, on the road, and even celebrate Tet in the middle of the forest." With 31 years in the profession, Mr. Dung has experienced many memories of racing against death. It's normal for patients' families to scold and urge them, but at times like that, the ambulance driver has to endure, calmly hold the steering wheel, and try to convince the patient's family to calm down. Mr. Dung recounted: "Once at 2am, I transported a deceased patient to the mountains on a deserted road. When I got there, I turned back. The patient's family was still scared and worried about me, but I still had to go."
Despite their strong mentality, ambulance drivers are not unmoved by the lives of patients. Some of the brothers in the Provincial General Hospital team recounted that there were times when, after taking patients home, they looked back at their homes and didn’t even have a decent chair, and felt heartbroken, while they themselves were not well-off enough to help them. There were also many times when transporting poor patients, the brothers did not hesitate to spend their own money to buy food for the patients’ families to eat together. For them, those were the most practical things they could do to help the patients and their families fight and overcome the disease.
No one wants to sit around and have no work, but the ambulance drivers I met all had the same thought: “Sometimes I want to go a whole day, a whole month without having to make a single trip. Because every time we have to make a trip, someone is in danger, which we never want.” For them, the most valuable reward after each trip is not a bonus or any amount of money, but seeing the patient receive timely emergency care and overcome danger is the greatest joy.
Hong Quang
