Fiat Automóveis has just
handed over 650 Ducato ambulances to the five municipal
authorities across Brazil which will be pressed into
operation with the Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de
Urgência, Samu/192, (emergency services), the first
tranche of a large order placed by the Ministério da
Saúde (Health Ministry), that is set to number 1,100
vehicles by the time it is fully completed in August.
The first batch of ambulances were delivered
during a ceremony that was attended by the Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula
da Silva and the Ministro da Saúde (Health Minister) José Gomes Temporão,
with the hand-over taking place at the headquarters of Tatuí, the company
responsible for carrying out the conversions, in São Paulo. Fiat Automóveis was represented at the
event by Vice-President Valentino Rizzioli, and the Director de Vendas Diretas
(Commercial Sales Director) Francelino Schilling.
All the ambulances, based
around Fiat’s tired-and-tested Ducato light commercial van,
are delivered fitted with basic life support equipment (USB)
which includes a wheeled stretcher with adjustable head and
leg support sections, oxygen cylinder, support for blood and
serum transportation and use, and a bench for
pharmaceuticals and medical equipment. The ambulances also
come with sirens and roof-mounted flashing light clusters.
The next batch of Ducato ambulances will be kitted out to a
higher specification and come complete with the Suporte
Avançado de Vida (Advanced Life Support) system, known
in Brazil as UTI Móvel (UTI Mobile).
During the ceremony the keys
to the ambulances were handed over to mayors representing
the five regions of the country, Porto Acre (AC), Sarandi
(RS), Nova Crixás (GO), Arapiraca (AL) and Tatuí (SP), which
will operate the vehicles. According to the Health Ministry
this first shipment of vehicles will help expand and
increase the efficiency of the emergency service departments
around Brazil, thus improving the service offered to the
population. The new ambulances will also replace a number of
elderly, high-mileage and less efficient vehicles from the
emergency services fleet around the country.
