AMBULANCE AT 112 - ONE PHONE NUMBER FOR THE ENTIRE SERBIA

27. August 2019.

The Republic of Serbia is introducing a single emergency number for the entire country, while an operator at the center will be the one to send the ambulance to the at-risk patient.

The placing of a classic call for ambulance is going to become history, since we will respond much faster and more efficiently when needed, the Ministry of Health said.

Now, in such cases, the operator from the centralized service will send an ambulance team, without the family of the patient having to think about it. Also, the vehicle that is the nearest to the at-risk patient will come, regardless of territorial jurisdiction.

It is part of the centralization of health care services, envisaged by the Health Care Act, which was adopted in April. The law also envisages the transfer of health centers and other health care institutions from the jurisdiction of local self-governments to the jurisdiction of the state, which starts on January 1, 2020.

“With the aim of improving the organization of work in the emergency medical service and increasing its efficiency, a single phone number is going to be introduced, such as the one in Germany, which is 112. In this way, we will know which ambulance team is the nearest to the at-risk patient and it will instantly be sent to him/her. Whether the accident happens on the highway, in the city, in the rural area or anywhere else in Serbia, all calls will, in the future, be made via a single phone number”, the Ministry of Health said.

In Europe, 112 is used in emergencies and is free of charge, which means that by calling this number, the caller is connected with the emergency medical service, the police and fire departments, while the center is staffed by trained operators. It is expected that such a system should become operational in our country next year.

Health Minister Zlatibor Loncar said a better organization of emergency medical service was needed and confirmed that from the following year, when health centers come under the republican jurisdiction, a single system would be formed and would start operating.

“We will know at all times where the ambulances are, so that the closest ambulance team, regardless of which territory it belongs to, will come to the scene, "Minister Loncar said.

Source: “Blic” daily and Coordination Body