EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/45

(2004/C 84 E/0051)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3041/03

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(17 October 2003)

Subject: Serious defects in Greek ambulances

The ‘New Democracy’ party has repeatedly brought up in the Greek parliament the question of the provision of ambulances belonging to the National Emergency Aid Centre (EKAB), the specifications which should be met, transparency in the choice of the vehicle makes bought and the equipment that they should have in order to be able to carry out their difficult tasks.

Workers at EKAB have on many occasions pointed out that many of these ambulances lack the requisite portable artificial respiration equipment (which is designed to give the first supplies of oxygen to an injured person), as well as another acutely essential piece of equipment, the defibrillator, which ought to be in every ambulance to administer repeated electrical shocks to a patient who has had a heart attack.

The ‘New Democracy’ party has repeatedly pointed out (through the social issues coordinator responsible for this area, our former European Parliament colleague Nikitas Kaklamanis) the problem of lack of transparency in the choice of ambulances makes bought from time to time (thanks to the second and third Community support frameworks).

Could the Commission set out the exact total amounts which have been made available by the EU from 1994 until the present, and indicate precisely which operational programmes (either via the CSF or Community initiatives) apply to the provision of ambulances and other emergency medical care transport units? Has the Commission been informed of the above-mentioned defects in ambulance equipment? What is the Commission's position with regard to the allegations by workers at EKAB that for a city such as Athens (with five million residents) there are only 72 ambulances, amounting to one ambulance for every 70 000 city residents; hence the recent incident (on 30 September 2003) of the injured motorcyclist in Athens who waited for two hours in a heap on the road for an ambulance to arrive?

Supplementary answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(10 March 2004)

The Honourable Member is informed of the following, as regards the fourth paragraph of his question:

1. According to the Greek authorities, the following ambulances and other emergency medical care transport units have been co-funded by the EU between 1994 and 2003: — CSF II (operational programme ‘Health and welfare’): — 1997-1998: 60 medical care mobile units - approximately EUR 4 798 000 — 2001: 116 ambulances - approximately EUR 4 672 000 — 1994-1999: five helicopters - approximately EUR 17 757 000 — CSF III (operational programme ‘Health and welfare’): — 2004: 100 ambulances - approximately EUR 5 391 000 — 2004: 25 medical care mobile units — approximately EUR 2 578 000 These procurements are to be completed by the Summer of 2004. Between 1999 and mid-2004, the EU will have co-funded the provision of ambulances and other emergency medical care transport units with a total cost of EUR 35 159 000 (EU contribution: EUR 26 397 000).

2. According to the Greek authorities the situation of the equipment of the ambulances and mobile units is as follows: — The two outstanding procurements to be completed by mid-2004 are based on the CEN, EN1789:1999, EN1865:1999, type Β (ambulances) and type C (mobile units) standards of the European specifications. They will therefore be fully equipped. — The CSF II co-funded ambulances and mobile units are considered, apart from the absence of defibrillators in the ambulances, adequately equipped. The accompanying Annex describes in detail the equipment of each ambulance and mobile unit. As far as the absence of defibrillators in ambulances is concerned, the Board of Administration of the National Emergency Aid Centre (EKAV) has decided at its 15th meeting, on 27 November 2003, to furnish up to the mid-2004 each ambulance with one defibrillator.