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Poor Emergency Medical Services Endanger Lives of Jakarta Residents
City Lacks “Chain of Survival”; Critical FIRST Minutes After an Emergency Could Be Victim’s LAST
The Ministry of Health declares heart attack rates in Jakarta have tripled over the last 20 years. The Emergency Medical Service (EMS) system in the city, however, has barely changed. With 75% of sudden cardiac arrests occurring in homes and in the evenings, only 6% of victims ever make it to a hospital still alive. Jakarta’s EMS system needs drastic change.
A victim’s life can be saved during the first crucial minutes, after a major medical emergency, such as a heart attack. If a victim is able to receive immediate medical instruction from a competent medical operator, the person’s chances of survival are increased significantly.
Instruction comes in the form of an EMS professional’s initial diagnosis by phone of acute illnesses or injuries just minutes after the emergency has occurred. The instruction continues from emergency medical doctors’ prior to and during the patient’s transport to a hospital emergency room.
This quality of EMS that enables full and effective use of intervention in Time Life Critical Events is the kind of EMS that one finds in developed cities. But in Jakarta, it is dismally and ashamedly unavailable. This is because Jakarta lacks what is called “the chain of survival” – established safety nets for medical emergencies.
For cardiac arrest victims this consists of early access to an Emergency Response Phone Number, early Cardio- Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), early defibrillation, and early advanced care.
WHAT DEVELOPED WORLD CITIES OFFER
Early Access
Residents of developed cities have an emergency response number, such as the USA’s 9-1-1, through which they can get quickly connected to a competent medical operator who activates the chain of survival.
Early CPR by Anyone in the Victim’s Proximity
According to the American Heart Association, in a cardiac arrest, brain death begins in four to six minutes. To help perfuse the brain, immediate CPR is needed. Over the phone, Emergency Medical Dispatcher’s (EMD) in these developed cities provide CPR instruction to whoever may be by the victim’s side. In the communities of these cities, citizens such as workers, housewives, teachers and high school students are trained in CPR and Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) use.
Early Medical Intervention and Defibrillation
In cardiac cases, survival rates drop by 7% to 10% for every minute that passes without defibrillation. AEDs ‘stun’ the heart so that they may have a chance to reestablish normal rhythm. These AEDs are utilized by EMS professionals, policemen and firemen, and are located strategically throughout a city for public use. Areas of placement include airports, movie theaters and shopping malls.
Early Advanced Care
Well-equipped ambulances respond and arrive at the scene of an emergency within 15 minutes of a call, and hospitals stand ready for emergency triaging (priority setting and coordination) with standby emergency specialist doctors.
They all work together to save lives.
WHAT JAKARTA LACKS
Jakarta, however, has no such safety nets. It lacks the ability to activate an effective chain of survival, oftentimes wasting the critical first minutes. There are no emergency response numbers nor professional ambulance services, like you would find in Singapore. CPR and AED training are not part of the education system, and most ambulances are only ‘pick up and go’ units. Emergency physicians are a rarity.
THE ANSWER TO JAKARTA’S NEEDS
The first EMS similar to the US’ 911
Medic One is the Indonesia Designate of the Australasian Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (AREMT) and has been established to provide Jakarta the quality of Emergency Medical Service the city so badly needs.
Medic One have a 24/7 First Response Service that is the first and only one in the country to use a three-pronged “US 911” approach to emergency medical care. The first prong is medical instructions by phone from a trained in-house clinical team. Such as with cardiac arrests Early Access and Early CPR are provided. The second prong is Motorcycle Paramedics to provide Early Medical Intervention; and the third is a Life Support Ambulance to provide Early Advanced Care. Should the need arise, Medic One have an Air Medical Evacuation service to swiftly fly clients out of the country and into the care of select overseas hospitals and medical and surgical specialists.
No matter what the situation, Medic One’s 24/7 Helpline assures members a chain of survival for all types of medical emergencies. The Helpline service provides answers to any and all medical questions and assists with medical emergencies, second opinions, and travel– so members get the best care possible.
Save-a-Life Team (SALT)
The lessons learned early in life establish behavioral patterns for the rest of our life and become a part of a person’s core beliefs and values. In promoting health and safety in Indonesia, Medic One has chosen to focus on teaching teenagers (13-17 years old) and public school teachers free basic Life Support First Aid (LSFA) skills in order to inform or change their behavior, attitudes and response to emergencies. The course subjects include among others: scene safety, recognizing an emergency, opening an airway, early heart attack care, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, contacting local medical help, and bleeding control.
Similar programs in the US, Australia and Europe have a proven track record of producing citizens who take action due to increased knowledge, confidence, and a desire to come to the aid of others in emergencies.
Those who learn with Medic One become members of Save-a-Life-Team or SALT, a group of “first aiders” qualified to render prompt aid to the injured or ill should an emergency occur. Your friend, your loved one, or your own life may depend on a SALT First Aider!
Media, teachers, wellness-seekers, individuals and corporations are all invited to visit Medic One to see how Medic One brings to Jakarta the quality of emergency medical service that can truly save lives. You will see an instructional video, observe a medical emergency simulation, and receive a free introductory class on CPR.
Medic One also offers complementary and more comprehensive first aid courses to both individuals and corporations. A percentage of the proceeds from all first aid courses will be utilized to finance and run the free basic Life Support First Aid (LSFA) and Save-A-Life Team community projects.
###
Under a consultancy arrangement with AREMT, Jimmy Crouch is assigned to work with Medic One in support of ongoing professional training development.
His career started in the US Army as a telecommunications sergeant, instructor and first responder for acute emergency mental health crisis. Later he became a 9-1-1 center manager, Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) team leader, and an Emergency Telecommunicator Instructor. He served in the emergency phase of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami disaster.
###
Medic One
Health Information and Training Center
Wisma Medic-One
Jl.Prapanca Raya 6A
Jakarta 12160
tel. (62-21) 725 9111 ext. 122
mobile (62) 8131900411
www.medic-one.org
email: jimmy@medic-one.org
The Ministry of Health declares heart attack rates in Jakarta have tripled over the last 20 years. The Emergency Medical Service (EMS) system in the city, however, has barely changed. With 75% of sudden cardiac arrests occurring in homes and in the evenings, only 6% of victims ever make it to a hospital still alive. Jakarta’s EMS system needs drastic change.
A victim’s life can be saved during the first crucial minutes, after a major medical emergency, such as a heart attack. If a victim is able to receive immediate medical instruction from a competent medical operator, the person’s chances of survival are increased significantly.
Instruction comes in the form of an EMS professional’s initial diagnosis by phone of acute illnesses or injuries just minutes after the emergency has occurred. The instruction continues from emergency medical doctors’ prior to and during the patient’s transport to a hospital emergency room.
This quality of EMS that enables full and effective use of intervention in Time Life Critical Events is the kind of EMS that one finds in developed cities. But in Jakarta, it is dismally and ashamedly unavailable. This is because Jakarta lacks what is called “the chain of survival” – established safety nets for medical emergencies.
For cardiac arrest victims this consists of early access to an Emergency Response Phone Number, early Cardio- Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), early defibrillation, and early advanced care.
WHAT DEVELOPED WORLD CITIES OFFER
Early Access
Residents of developed cities have an emergency response number, such as the USA’s 9-1-1, through which they can get quickly connected to a competent medical operator who activates the chain of survival.
Early CPR by Anyone in the Victim’s Proximity
According to the American Heart Association, in a cardiac arrest, brain death begins in four to six minutes. To help perfuse the brain, immediate CPR is needed. Over the phone, Emergency Medical Dispatcher’s (EMD) in these developed cities provide CPR instruction to whoever may be by the victim’s side. In the communities of these cities, citizens such as workers, housewives, teachers and high school students are trained in CPR and Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) use.
Early Medical Intervention and Defibrillation
In cardiac cases, survival rates drop by 7% to 10% for every minute that passes without defibrillation. AEDs ‘stun’ the heart so that they may have a chance to reestablish normal rhythm. These AEDs are utilized by EMS professionals, policemen and firemen, and are located strategically throughout a city for public use. Areas of placement include airports, movie theaters and shopping malls.
Early Advanced Care
Well-equipped ambulances respond and arrive at the scene of an emergency within 15 minutes of a call, and hospitals stand ready for emergency triaging (priority setting and coordination) with standby emergency specialist doctors.
They all work together to save lives.
WHAT JAKARTA LACKS
Jakarta, however, has no such safety nets. It lacks the ability to activate an effective chain of survival, oftentimes wasting the critical first minutes. There are no emergency response numbers nor professional ambulance services, like you would find in Singapore. CPR and AED training are not part of the education system, and most ambulances are only ‘pick up and go’ units. Emergency physicians are a rarity.
THE ANSWER TO JAKARTA’S NEEDS
The first EMS similar to the US’ 911
Medic One is the Indonesia Designate of the Australasian Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (AREMT) and has been established to provide Jakarta the quality of Emergency Medical Service the city so badly needs.
Medic One have a 24/7 First Response Service that is the first and only one in the country to use a three-pronged “US 911” approach to emergency medical care. The first prong is medical instructions by phone from a trained in-house clinical team. Such as with cardiac arrests Early Access and Early CPR are provided. The second prong is Motorcycle Paramedics to provide Early Medical Intervention; and the third is a Life Support Ambulance to provide Early Advanced Care. Should the need arise, Medic One have an Air Medical Evacuation service to swiftly fly clients out of the country and into the care of select overseas hospitals and medical and surgical specialists.
No matter what the situation, Medic One’s 24/7 Helpline assures members a chain of survival for all types of medical emergencies. The Helpline service provides answers to any and all medical questions and assists with medical emergencies, second opinions, and travel– so members get the best care possible.
Save-a-Life Team (SALT)
The lessons learned early in life establish behavioral patterns for the rest of our life and become a part of a person’s core beliefs and values. In promoting health and safety in Indonesia, Medic One has chosen to focus on teaching teenagers (13-17 years old) and public school teachers free basic Life Support First Aid (LSFA) skills in order to inform or change their behavior, attitudes and response to emergencies. The course subjects include among others: scene safety, recognizing an emergency, opening an airway, early heart attack care, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, contacting local medical help, and bleeding control.
Similar programs in the US, Australia and Europe have a proven track record of producing citizens who take action due to increased knowledge, confidence, and a desire to come to the aid of others in emergencies.
Those who learn with Medic One become members of Save-a-Life-Team or SALT, a group of “first aiders” qualified to render prompt aid to the injured or ill should an emergency occur. Your friend, your loved one, or your own life may depend on a SALT First Aider!
Media, teachers, wellness-seekers, individuals and corporations are all invited to visit Medic One to see how Medic One brings to Jakarta the quality of emergency medical service that can truly save lives. You will see an instructional video, observe a medical emergency simulation, and receive a free introductory class on CPR.
Medic One also offers complementary and more comprehensive first aid courses to both individuals and corporations. A percentage of the proceeds from all first aid courses will be utilized to finance and run the free basic Life Support First Aid (LSFA) and Save-A-Life Team community projects.
###
Under a consultancy arrangement with AREMT, Jimmy Crouch is assigned to work with Medic One in support of ongoing professional training development.
His career started in the US Army as a telecommunications sergeant, instructor and first responder for acute emergency mental health crisis. Later he became a 9-1-1 center manager, Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) team leader, and an Emergency Telecommunicator Instructor. He served in the emergency phase of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami disaster.
###
Medic One
Health Information and Training Center
Wisma Medic-One
Jl.Prapanca Raya 6A
Jakarta 12160
tel. (62-21) 725 9111 ext. 122
mobile (62) 8131900411
www.medic-one.org
email: jimmy@medic-one.org
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