Bus crash prompts emergency response system for E-11

Work to develop a unified emergency system to better respond to major accidents begins after 26 injured in crash.

The two buses collided on Sunday morning on the E11 between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Courtesy of Abu Dhabi Police

DUBAI // In the wake of a crash involving two buses that injured at least 26 people on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai road, public safety officials in both emirates are developing a unified system to better respond to major accidents on the roadway.

Six workers, including four with critical injuries, were recuperating yesterday at Al Rahba Hospital, officials at the medical centre said. Three of them had undergone surgery in the past two days, and a fourth person was to receive an operation today.

Police said they intend to have the driver who they say caused the crash charged.

Dr Nellie Boma, the hospital's chief medical officer, said the surgeries were mostly orthopaedic, and the patients were being kept in closely controlled conditions. The workers were out of danger, but were in step-down units and the ICU, depending on their medical conditions, she said.

One of the workers was discharged on Monday. A total of 26 workers had been brought to the hospital after the collision, which happened early on Sunday morning.

Nineteen of the workers were discharged after doctors treated their injuries, which ranged from minor to moderate.

Another set of workers had been taken to Al Mafraq Hospital.

"Fifteen patients arrived on Sunday with mild injuries, mostly in the lower extremities," said Dr Jehad Awad, the deputy chair of that hospital's emergency department. "They were discharged within three hours after being treated."

Looking for ways to provide better ambulance response to major crashes on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai road, the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Service and Abu Dhabi Police's Emergency and Public Safety department began working together this week.

Qadhi Saeed al Murooshid, the chairman of the board of directors of Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Service, and Maj Gen Ahmed Nasser al Raisi, the director general of central operations at Abu Dhabi Police, discussed a joint plan and integrated system during a meeting on Monday at the Dubai Health Authority.

They discussed training programmes and potential ways to utilise each other's equipment to enhance cooperation in the event of an accident.

Khalifa bin Drai, the executive director of the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Service, said officials were acting out various mock situations to determine how to move more quickly and effectively to an accident site. The mock trials would also help both sides identify present strengths and weaknesses between the two emirates.

When the mock trials have been completed, the unified procedure is expected to be adopted by both sides, Mr bin Drai said.