This question is posed not out of disrespect for the hard work done by the emergency professionals, nor as a complaint against hospitals, as they do the best they can, work stupid hours and always put the patient before their own needs. It is a question posed from a wonder about the reach of emergency services and whether there are other routes we should look into taking so that they don’t become even more stretched, and if there is another way to achieve the swiftest response for an emergency.
When an emergency happens, it’s all you can do to grab that phone and dial 911, let alone a longer number, or scroll through your contacts. But having a different emergency service on speed dial wouldn’t hurt. 911 gets so abused by so many people calling with pranks, ridiculous questions, and by non-emergencies. Making the call center workers frantically trying to sift through the fakes and help the people who really need it. Likewise, the actual vehicles out on the road have to respond to calls that aren’t anywhere near as severe as they were told, or even have to respond to a prank call.
Not only does this drain resources, but it also uses up their time that they could be using to save someone’s life. It’s not their fault. It’s the fault of people who think that dialling that number is fun, or that emergency services are a leisurely service that can come and patch up every bump and bruise. However, this shouldn’t mean that you or your loved one should suffer for longer than necessary. There are private emergency companies who you can call to aid you – airevac is one of them. Covering the air and land, and even working internationally, this company is fully trained and equipped to deal with an emergency, making them a great option for alternative services.
The downside is that a lot of insurance plans don’t cover any extras like this, and only cover the 911 option. This is purely because it’s an extra expense for them to pay when there is a perfectly viable option already available. Which is understandable, but irritating if you need to use another option. In an emergency though, the cost of the ambulance is nothing compared to the cost of your, or another’s, life.
Although it might feel a little disloyal to the usual route of things, having your options open doesn’t seem to be the worst thing ever. A couple of minutes delay could mean the end of someone’s life, so it makes sense to have that second option. However, using the two shouldn’t be a battle to see who gets there first. You’ll just be wasting the time and resources of whoever turns up second.
