E-scooters join Egypt's ambulance fleet: Acting health minister

Nada Nader, Tuesday 9 Aug 2022

Eco-friendly electric scooters joined the fleet of the Egyptian Ambulance Organisation (EAO) to respond to emergencies and provide first aid to injured people until the arrival of traditional ambulance vehicles, Acting Minister of Health Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar said on Tuesday.

Electric scooters joining the fleet of the Egyptian Ambulance Organization. (Photos courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population)

In a statement, Health Ministry Spokesperson Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar said that the ambulance scooters are EAO’s latest service introduced to the public, adding that their high speed and small size enable them to pass through narrow streets and alleyways to provide aid to injured people.

He noted that the ambulance scooters are equipped with first aid kits and will help the injured until the ambulance vehicles arrive.

EAO receives emergency calls round the clock on the phone number 123.

The ministry’s spokesperson asserted that the electric scooter could go over 100 kilometers with a full battery charge and does not have any carbon emissions.

The EAO Chairman Mohamed Gad said that the ambulance e-scooter launch meets the Egyptian state's relentless efforts to protect the environment, which is the target of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) scheduled to be hosted in the Red Sea city of Sharm El-Sheikh this November.

The chairman pointed out that the expansion in ambulance services will be presented in COP27.

He elaborated that EAO made a leap in depending on clean energy through building 77 solar power stations in a number of its branches nationwide within the framework of the National Strategy for Climate Change 2050.

Egypt is exerting great efforts for sustainable development and green economy in many sectors, including transportation.

Last September, Egypt's Ministry of Health and Mercedes-Benz reached an agreement whereby the German automotive giant will supply Egypt with 2,510 ambulances and mobile clinics for over EGP 3 billion ($190 million), which will be running on environment-friendly engines.

In June 2022, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly directed the EAO to contract the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) for the manufacturing of six marine ambulance boats in the Red Sea and South Sinai governorates to serve the tourism sector, cruises, and various marine activities.