This is definitely a tricky subject to address here in Bali but I should start by saying that there is no dedicated ambulance service on the Island that is concerned purely with ambulance and related emergency services such as the St Johns Ambulance, Red Cross, Green Cross, or Red Crescent; and dialing “911” or “000” is not likely to get you very far. Secondly the definition of “ambulance” in this country is a very loose one. An ambulance can be anything from a basic mini-bus with a gurney (stretcher), a chair and a sink to state-of-the art mobile emergency units.
“Ambulances” and their purposes are just as varied. In Java or areas where the majority of the population is Islamic, ambulances are used to transport the dead to the cemetery, screeching through the streets at high speed with all the lights and bells. In fact more people are injured or killed by these speeding “corpse crashers” than are saved! Sixteen years ago when I called the ambulance number in the local yellow pages for my mother who was having a heart attack, I was told the ambulance was out “buying lunch”, and it was not so long ago I saw an ambulance delivering building materials to a neighboring construction site. Hopefully things have improved since then. The Bali Bomb was a landmark in the evolution of ambulances in Bali and the teams of doctors, nurses and paramedics that man them. A Dutch paramedic has trained an impressive team at the Sanglah General hospital and I was witness to his team’s performance when I stopped to attend a motorcycle accident last year.
As with most things in life, especially here where many health services are privatized, you get what you pay for, but in the case of an emergency, dealings with receptionists and accountants that are asking you for large amounts of cash, credit cards and guarantees of payments are the last thing on your mind. Such was the case of the wife of a New Zealand man who was apparently asked for 3 million rupiah in the very early hours of the morning before an ambulance would be dispatched to assist her critically ill husband. Sadly, in this case, the man died and now his young wife is left wondering whether he may have survived had help been available.
This leaves a lot of us thinking about whom we would call when faced with an emergency? I wish there was a simple answer to this, but unfortunately there is not. - suppose first of all we need to think of what kind of medical emergency we might be faced with.
- Patient is mobile or can be moved – This might be someone with chest pains, shortness of breath etc. In this case I would be tempted to drive (or have someone drive) the patient to the nearest emergency room as soon as possible. If you are the one driving, try to get another person to come with you to support the patient. Taxis are a good option but ask the operator how long it will be before a taxi can be there (busy days like New Year may NOT be a good idea to wait for a taxi).
- Patient cannot or should not be moved – These would be cases where the patient is unconscious, or has experienced some kind of trauma which may involve neck or spine injuries. In these cases you will need to call an ambulance that is equipped to immobilize and transport the patient. Don’t forget to give the operator clear instructions about where you are and the condition of the patient.
Please, please, please, don’t call an ambulance for minor injuries. I think I’ve heard ‘em all! Broken toes, sprained ankles, ingrown toe nails, toothache! If you call an ambulance for something like this, then you deserve to be slapped with an inflated bill. While emergency teams waste time on cases like this, they could be missing a real emergency. However, if you really do need an ambulance here are some numbers you might like to try:
- Sanglah Ambulance Service number is 0361- 226363 or 0361-227915 ext 260.
- International SOS 0361 – 710505
- BIMC 0361 – 761263
- Prima Medika 0361 – 236226
- Surya Husada 0361 - 233787
Kim Patra is a qualified registered nurse and midwife who has been living and working in Bali for almost 20 years. She now runs her own private practice and medical referral service from her Kuta office. Kim is happy to discuss any health concerns with you and she may be contacted via e-mail at info@chcbali.com or Hp. 081 2366 0000.
