Private ambulances can now be booked through an app
Patients who require a private ambulance for non-emergency situations can now make bookings through an app.
Launched by Speedoc in collaboration with Comfort Ambulance, the updated Speedoc app allows users to make bookings for private ambulances in the same way they would book a private-hire car.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) announced in April that it would no longer dispatch its ambulances for non-emergency situations.
Last year, it handled more than 187,000 such calls, with about 10 per cent being non-emergency or false alarm calls.
SCDF has been running intensive public education campaigns urging the public not to call 995 for such situations as it affects their ability to attend to urgent and serious cases.
With the Speedoc app, a fleet of 25 private ambulances will be able to attend to patients in non-emergency situations.
Speedoc, a Singapore startup, previously allowed users to only book a doctor through the app, but some of the doctors faced great difficulty in getting a private ambulance to ferry patients when needed.
With the updated app, users can book both a doctor and a private ambulance with ease.
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