Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-12-02
NO AMBULANCE AVAILABLE.

1t would certainly be a serious reflection on
the city hospital If it were true that in case of
a serious accident, such as a woman jumping
from a third story window during a fire and be-
ing badly injured, the hospital would refuse to
send its ambulance 10 take the woman to the
hospital until the request for the ambulance
had come from a physician. It is not always
possible to get hold of a doctor on the spur of
the moment. Besides. where the injury is so
serious. as was the case at the State street fire
yesterday. and it is apparent that the first thing
the doctor would do anyway would be to order
the victim taken to the hospital, much time
and probably life itself-could be saved by hav-
ing the person taken to the hospital forthwith
and then have the physician rushed to that In
~stitution as quickly as possible.
1t Is gratifying to know that no such rule
exists in regard to the local hospital as was in
timated in the account of the fire that was pub
iished in the EVENING NEWS yesterday. In
spite of the fact that the police had said the
hospital had refused to send the ambulance
without a request from a physician. the Eve
MING NEWS learns from the hospital authori-
ties that the ambulance is always sent out the
instant the call comes for any accident case.
often this is done when an ambulance is hardly
needed. yet rather than take chances no rea-
sonable request is refused-particularly in the
case of an accident-whether the call comes
from a physician or not.
1t so happened yesterday that the hospital
ambulance had been sent to a garage the night
before for some minor repairs and it was to be
returned in the morning. When the call came
at the time Of the fire the ambulance was still
in the garage and could not be esnt out. That
was the sole reason for the hospital ambulance
not responding to the call.
1t was unfortunate that the police patrol,
which is a combination patrol and ambulance.
was out of commission at the same time so that
the service OF that vehicle could not be secured.
There was still the Red Cross that might have
been called upon, but, in the meantime a bakers
delivery had come along and 1t was pressed into
service to convey the woman to the hospital.
Chief Burke states that the city's patrol wagon
and ambulance has been out Of commission for
some time. 1t would seem as II there was a
lack Of efficiency here. There is no telling when
q patrol and ambulance will be needed and
needed badly. It would be a serious reflection
il there should be a railroad accident or a big
Are or some other catastrophe requiring the use
of not only one, but several ambulances and
find all such vehicles in the city out Of COM
mission. Because an ambulance is likely to be
called at any time. just as is a fire apparatus,
some provision ought to be made for any emer-
gency.
In the first place, there is no excuse for the
police patrol and ambulance being out Of COM
mission for any length of time. 1t should never
be allowed to get in a condition that would
require such extensive repairs. In the second
place. If the hospital ambulance also goes out Of
commission. If only for one night, some arrange
ments might be made whereby the Red Cross
ambulance or an ambulance from one of the in
dustries could be placed at the disposal of the
authorities ready for instant service.
Certainly in a city of this size and character it
ought not to be necessary to carry a person
who has been seriously injured at a fire to the
hospital in a baker wagon.
The EVENING NEWS is very glad, however.
TO correct the wrong impression it gave yester-
day, having been misled by the police, that the
hospital ambulance could not be sent out on>an
accident call unless at the request of some phys
ician. 1t is evident that had the hospital am
bulance been in commission it would have been
on the scene quickly enough. That the police
ambulance should have been out of commission
also was a double misfortune.