Ambulances owned by hospitals will be used in the capital to transport elderly patients from their homes to medical institutions, to help Tokyo Fire Department ambulances deal with a sharp increase in the number of such patients, the Tokyo Medical Association said.
The association’s endeavor is expected to attract attention from other large cities that are also concerned with a growing number of senior patients.Hospital ambulances are private emergency vehicles currently used only when patients are moved to other hospitals for medical reasons, or transported in times of disaster. They do not transport ordinary patients to hospitals. According to the Tokyo Metropolitan government, there are 70 such hospital ambulances currently in use. |
