IRELAND’S FIRST dedicated bar and nightclub emergency ambulance service is to be rolled out in Galway city over the coming weeks to coincide with the annual influx of college students.
The Night Medics service will run in the city centre from 9pm to 4am, seven nights a week, and aims to provide a rapid response to anybody requiring urgent medical attention. The dedicated ambulance will be staffed by professional paramedics and emergency medical technicians and can be quickly mobilised to deal with an emergency.
The Galway operation will be the first of its kind in Ireland or the UK and will have a response time of a few minutes, in case of accident or emergency.
It is expected to relieve pressure on the public ambulance service in the city which is under particular pressure on weekend nights.
The unique service, which is being operated by Galway-based Cara Ambulance Service, was piloted over 10 days during the Volvo Ocean Race finale celebrations in July. The pilot scheme proved such a success that the operators are now rolling Night Medics out in Galway city on a full-time basis with plans to launch a similar service in Cork city.
Established in 2010, Cara Ambulance Service has bases in Galway and Cork and specialises in patient transport and event medical cover services.
Twenty local pubs and clubs signed up for the Night Medics pilot service and the scheme is now being rolled out to all venues in the city that wish to get on board.
Managing director of Cara Ambulance Service, Conor McEvaddy, said: “The service is staffed by professional paramedics and emergency medical technicians who are all registered practitioners with the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council of Ireland.
“All participating venues will have a designated emergency telephone number which they will call should they require medical assistance at their venue. The call will be managed by the ambulance crew and the ambulance will respond to the venue within minutes to deal with the emergency.”
Mr McEvaddy said it was not only purely “drink-related” incidents that the Night Medics service was called to deal with. The crew had call-outs for people with diabetes, with epilepsy and those suffering from chest pains during the pilot scheme.
He pointed out that the service ties in nicely with the work of the Galway Healthy Cities Alcohol Forum, a sub-group of the Healthy Cities Group, which aims to develop a five-year action plan by the end of 2012 to reduce alcohol-related harm in Galway city.
A special information evening will be held in Monroe's Tavern, Dominick Street, tomorrow night, for venue owners. Owners of pubs, nightclubs, restaurants, hotels and other night-time venues can contact Cara Ambulance Service to discuss the scheme directly by calling 1890-600999 or emailing events.cara@gmail.com
Follow-up information evenings are to be confirmed for venues in Cork city shortly.
