SOMALIA: A day in the life of a Mogadishu paramedic

31 Aug 2010 14:18:14 GMT

Source: IRIN

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NAIROBI, 31 August 2010 (IRIN) - The LifelineAfrica ambulance service was launched in Mogadishu [ http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=83931 ] in December 2008 by two men who realized that trauma cases often died of blood loss before reaching hospital. Almost 18 months after IRIN first spoke to the founders, we asked Ismail Mohamed how he and his colleagues were coping as fighting in the Somali capital entered its ninth day. NationLink, a telecommunications company, funds the service. The crew of three per ambulance has no set shifts. "You could end up working 24 hours with very little rest. It depends how bad the situation is. For example, this week, the longest break I've had is now [talking to IRIN on the telephone]," Mohamed said. People call a central number - 777 - and the base guides the ambulance crew to the scene. "Once we are in the general area people will come out and lead us to the house where the injured may be."
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