Emergency doctors celebrated National Ambulance Day

Chisinau, Oct 5 /MOLDPRES/- Today employees of the National Center for Prehospital Emergency Medical Assistance (CNAMUP) celebrated National Ambulance Day. Dozens of doctors, nurses, paramedics gathered in the Public Garden Stefan cel Mare to attend the event dedicated to this day. Congratulatory messages were addressed by Speaker Igor Grosu and Health Minister Ala Nemerenco. On this day, emergency doctors received 21 new ambulances.

The employees of the Emergency Medical Service were pleased that they have a day dedicated to them and their work - 2 October, this day was set up last year by a government decision.

"We share the feeling of joy that the emergency medical service has a day which is called Ambulance Day of the Republic of Moldova. Let's celebrate this day that comes as a response of the state, of the top leadership of the country, of the society for this effort that is made in the service day by day, 24 hours a day, hour by hour. The service has a spiritual richness - over the years, thousands of human lives have been saved, smiles have been restored to thousands of sufferers, and this is your merit", Iurie Crasiuc, deputy head of development, infrastructure and service coordination of CNAMUP said.

The service was set up 21 years ago following a health reform. During the period, medical emergencies were organized throughout Moldova. The authorities, according to Grosu, have paid special attention to the development and modernization of the medical emergency, so that billions of lei have been invested in the health system in the last few years.

"Thank you for your sacrifice, you do extraordinary things! Our plan is to continue to build a modern health system and, from what I see, things are moving forward both in Chisinau and throughout the country. In the last three years alone, over 3 billion lei have been invested in renovating and equipping hospitals and 206 ambulances have been bought. Together we must build a healthy society and we must continue these unprecedented efforts to improve the health system," he said.

Nemerenco said that 21 new ambulances worth 5 million euro have been purchased and handed over to medical emergency services in the territory. The ambulances were distributed to Anenii Noi, Călărași, Căușeni, Cimișlia, Criuleni, Ialoveni, Nisporeni, Rezina, Strășeni, Ungheni, Drochia, Fălești, Florești, Ocnita, Riscani, Singerei, Soroca, Cahul - two, Stefan Voda and Comrat.

"I am proud to be with you today. The Ministry of Health has made great efforts to make you truly effective. We have brought a lot of equipment and I thank the WHO, we have equipped the older ambulances, we have taken off the roads those "shameful" ambulances, which I do not even want to remember what a shameless state they were in, and we promise you that we will continue to work so that you have the most important intervention tools at your fingertips. It is important to reduce this intervention time as much as possible and not only us at the Ministry of Health, but the entire government is making a special effort to have good roads because this is your safety, the safety of the patient who is in the ambulance to get there as quickly as possible. I heartily congratulate you on this beautiful day, I wish you many years to celebrate! Congratulations, colleagues and good health!", health minister said.

Nemerenco thanked the employees of all the structures with which the Emergency Medical Service cooperates: 112 emergency service, IGSU, as well as the partners with which it was possible to create better conditions in medical institutions in the Republic of Moldova - UNDP, UNICEF, US Government, EU and Romania. "Only on the path of European integration will we be able to further improve our conditions, we will be able to have the well-being that every citizen wants", Nemerenco said.

On this occasion, the employees of the emergency service have set up a museum of old ambulances, which served in the old days and clothes that ambulance medics used to wear.

"In this museum, it very well looks at history and progress. The emergency service was the only service that had cars with more than a million miles on them. In addition to being specialists, we are all citizens, parents, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters of someone, we want peace and good understanding, good living conditions, to develop, to progress, to have a happy existence. I wish you progress, success and happiness", Adrian Belîi, a doctor by profession, chairman of the parliamentary committee on health and social protection said.

Emil Ceban, Rector of Nicolae Testimițanu University of Medicine and Pharmacy also came with a message of greetings.

"All medical students take their first steps through emergency medicine, giving first medical aid. Today, we have seven continuing education programs. We will do our best to increase the quality of medical services. I came here to tell you that you are the ones who make the first contact with the patient, you are the face of the health system, you give the first and most important help in extremely complicated cases. I am here to thank you, to wish you and your families good health. We assure you that we will work closely with the Ministry of Health in order to train new generations of graduates who will successfully cope with the health system," said Emil Ceban.

The National Center for Prehospital Emergency Medical Assistance was founded on 1 October 2015 under the Moldovan government decision No. 377 of 16.06.2015.

At present, there are about 5,600 employees working in the prehospital emergency medical assistance service, who intervene annually in about 1 million requests. The service is also significant in emergency cases such as pandemics, earthquakes, floods, refugee crisis or war.

Ambulance Day is marked in several European countries, including Romania, by organizing events with the participation of the population, medical institutions, authorities and NGOs.