Survey ambulances are often far too late in big cities

The rescue service takes too long in many German cities until it arrives at the emergency patient. This is the result of a research by the ARD magazine "Plusminus". According to this, about 40 percent of the ambulances arrive too late - which can have life-threatening consequences.

Experts call for a maximum of eight minutes
Whether a serious fall, circulatory collapse or shortness of breath: There are many reasons why the emergency services can be called under the number 112. If the emergency call is canceled, the ambulance should arrive at the patient as soon as possible. Because in many diseases such. a heart attack or stroke, any delay can have serious consequences. From the point of view of emergency physicians and resuscitation experts, the rescue service should therefore be in the emergency site in eighty-five percent of the deployments, reported "Plus Minus" on Wednesday evening on the ARD. "An extrapolation from us shows that if we can implement this auxiliary period nationwide, up to 1,000 lives per year could be saved more," said the emergency physician Matthias Fischer of the German Council for Revival opposite the magazine.

The emergency services often arrive late in case of medical emergencies. (Image: k_rahn / fotolia.com)

Magazine evaluates figures from 44 major cities
"Plusminus" had, according to their own information nationwide 76 cities asked for their assistance periods and compliance with them and get usable responses from 44 cities. It turned out that only Mönchengladbach and Bottrop kept the required eight minutes and that even in 90 percent of all missions, the report said. Other cities, however, lagged significantly. In Baden-Württemberg, for example, where almost 15 minutes allow almost double the time, even this deadline was not reached often enough.

Berlin is at the bottom
"Particularly bad results" scored Berlin according to the magazine. Here, too, the ambulance should be there within eight minutes. However, according to their own statements, this has only been achieved in less than 50 percent of the stakes for years. In 2014, according to the survey, only 39 percent of respondents responded to the patient within this time limit. "Personally, I had the longest arrival time with an ambulance with 21 minutes", explains the former ambulance driver Michael Quäker opposite "Plusminus". "Since the patient is already in the phase, that he is reanimationspflichtig. After 21 minutes, there is definitely not much to save, "he adds. Ralf Fibich experienced something similar: "It can take up to 30, 45 minutes in Berlin. This is not an isolated case. That is commonplace, "says the former dispatcher at the Berlin Fire Department. (No)