Dubai Ambulance offers a sensory ambulance for planned hospital trips, booked on DubaiNow
Families of autistic patients and others with sensory needs can now book a calmer, specially fitted ambulance for planned trips between home and hospital through the DubaiNow app.
Dubai Ambulance has a sensory ambulance for patients with sensory needs, including autistic patients and other people of determination, who need extra support on planned trips between home and a hospital or clinic, Khaleej Times reported from AccessAbilities Expo.
The rear of the vehicle has soft lighting, tactile panels on the walls and toys the crew can use to ease a patient's distress, and the staff on board have been trained to support people with sensory disabilities, a Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services paramedic said. A separate specialised ambulance serves people with physical disabilities.
It is for planned transfers only. Trips are arranged in advance, and stable cases are assessed by a paramedic first. The cost, hours and number of vehicles have not been published.
To book, open the DubaiNow app, choose Patient Transfer, say that a specialised ambulance is needed and pick the sensory ambulance. Add a short description of the patient's condition, such as autism, the date and time, and the pick-up and drop-off addresses, saying whether the trip is from home to hospital or back. A member of the ambulance team then calls the family to confirm. In an emergency, do not wait for this vehicle: call 998.