Izingcingo Eziphuthumayo ELondon
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EBRITHANI
“SINOMGOMO wokufinyelela abantu abagula kakhulu nabalimele kabi ingakapheli imizuzu engu-8 nomaphi kuleli dolobha laseLondon elingamakhilomitha-skwele angu-1 600,” kuchaza umphathi wama-ambulense, uRob Ashford. “Lokhu siyakufinyelela ezimweni ezingaphezu kwamaphesenti angu-75, nakuba lezi zehlakalo ziqhubeka zanda minyaka yonke.”
Ngamenywa ukuba ngiyovakashela isikhungo saseLondon se-Central Ambulance Control eWaterloo, osebeni oluseningizimu loMfula iThames. Lesi sikhungo, esikhulu kunazo zonke zalolu hlobo eYurophu, samukela izingcingo eziphuthumayo ezingaba ngu-3 000 ngosuku. Lezi zingcingo zivela kubantu abangaba yizigidi ezingu-7, abakhuluma izilimi ezingaphezu kuka-300. Izisebenzi ezingu-300 ezikulesi sikhungo zihlelwe kanjani ukuze zihlangabezane nale nselele?
Ukuhlunga Izingcingo
Ngabukela ophendula izingcingo njengoba ephendula “izingcingo eziphuthumayo zika-999,” njengoba zibizwa kanjalo eBrithani—u-999 inombolo yocingo yezimo eziphuthumayo. Ngokushesha wathola indawo lapho kunenkinga khona kanye nempambano-mgwaqo eseduze. Ngokushesha kwavela ibalazwe lemigwaqo kuyi-computer yakhe. Ukuze ahlaziye ukuphuthuma kwesimo, wabuza uhide lwemibuzo: Bangaki abantu abadinga usizo? Badala kangakanani, ingabe abesilisa noma abesifazane? Baqulekile? Ingabe bayaphefumula? Ingabe banezinhlungu esifubeni? Ingabe bayopha?
Njengoba efaka lokhu kwaziswa kuyi-computer, yona ihlaziya isimo ngokuzenzakalelayo: umbala obomvu—usho ukuthi isimo sisongela ukuphila; osawolintshi—sibi kodwa asilona usongo olukhulu; noma oluhlaza—asisibi futhi asilona usongo olukhulu ekuphileni. Ube esethumela lo myalezo komunye asebenza naye okunguyena othumela usizo kwabalimele.
Ukusiza Endaweni Okwenzeke Kuyo Ingozi
Le nkonzo inama-ambulense angu-395 nezimoto ezingu-60 zokusabela ezimweni eziphuthumayo. Lapho kubikwa isimo esiphuthumayo, kuthunyelwa imoto efanele eseduze. Kukhona nabosizo lokuqala abahamba ngezithuthuthu, ngoba bathubeleza kalula phakathi kwezimoto emigwaqweni eminyene. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kunodokotela abangu-12 abahlala bemi ngomumo amahora angu-24 ukuze basize abosizo lokuqala.
Ngesikhathi ngivakashele lesi sikhungo, amaphoyisa endawo abika ingozi embi emgwaqweni omkhulu omatasa. Yayisifikile kakade i-ambulense, kodwa amaphoyisa athinta isikhungo sama-ambulense. Ngani? Ukuze abatshele ukuthi kungase kudingeke indiza enophephela emhlane. Le ndiza enombala obomvu ogqamile ithatha uhambo izikhathi ezingaba inkulungwane unyaka nonyaka. Inesisebenzi sosizo lokuqala kanye nodokotela, ngokuvamile abathumela abantu abalimele kakhulu eSibhedlela saseRoyal London, lapho bethola khona usizo ngokushesha.
Ngo-2004 kwanezelwa enye inkonzo eyayizosetshenziswa okwesikhashana ukuze izanywe—amabhayisekili angama-ambulense eSikhumulweni Sezindiza saseHeathrow, eLondon, ayethasisela enkonzweni eyayisisebenza kakade eWest End kuleli dolobha. Lo mthwalo usemahlombe odokotela abahlanu kanye nezisebenzi zosizo oluphuthumayo, okukhulula ama-ambulense ukuba enze eminye imisebenzi. Ibhayisekili ngalinye, elinesibani esiluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka kanye nenhlabamkhosi, linamabhokisi athwala imishini enesisindo esingamakhilogremu angu-35, ehlanganisa umshini ovuselela ukushaya kwenhliziyo, isigubhu somoya-mpilo neziqeda nhlungu.
Kungakapheli ngisho nezinsuku ezimbalwa iqalile le nkonzo yamabhayisekili, kwabonakala ukuthi ibalulekile. Owesifazane oneminyaka engu-35 wagula ku-Terminal 4 esikhumulweni saseHeathrow, wayeka ukuphefumula. Izisebenzi ezimbili zosizo oluphuthumayo zasabela ngokushesha lapho kushaywa u-999, zamfaka umshini womoya-mpilo, futhi zaqala ngokushesha ukumfaka umoya ukuze aphefumule. Wabe esephuthunyiswa esibhedlela esiseduze nge-ambulense. Ngemva kokululama, wabonga lezi zisebenzi mathupha ngokusindisa ukuphila kwakhe.
Inkonzo Ekhulayo
Uma abantu abashayela u-999 bengasikhulumi isiNgisi, badluliselwa kumhumushi. Kodwa ukuthola ukuthi oshaya ucingo ukhuluma luphi ulimi kuyinselele, ikakhulu uma lowo muntu ekhuluma eshesha ngenxa yokwethuka noma ukucindezeleka!
Ukuze umphakathi ube nolwazi olungcono ngezinkonzo eziphuthumayo zezempilo, kuye kwenziwa i-DVD yebhayisikobho emfushane enamagama esiNgisi ahambisana nendaba. I-LAS News, incwadi enyatheliswa yi-London Ambulance Service, ithi umgomo uwukukhuthaza abantu baseNingizimu Asia abahlala eLondon “ukuba bafunde ukusiza umuntu aphefumule ngokumfaka umoya.” Le DVD ibonisa nalokho okwenzekayo lapho kungena ucingo luka-999.
Izakhamuzi zenhloko-dolobha yaseNgilandi enezinhlanga ezihlukahlukene ziyakwazisa ukusabela okusheshayo lapho zicela usizo oluphuthumayo lwezempilo, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi lokhu kuthinta umuntu oyedwa noma abaningi, ukuthi kwenzeka ngaphansi komhlaba noma phezulu esakhiweni esikhotha amafu. Lapho ekhuluma ngamadoda nabesifazane abasebenza e-London Ambulance Service, omunye wodokotela abangu-12 abangamavolontiya wathi: “Baphakathi kochwepheshe bezempilo abaphambili kakhulu engake ngasebenza nabo.” Lawo amazwi amahle okuncoma izisebenzi zenkonzo yama-ambulense etholakala mahhala enkulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni.
[Ibhokisi ekhasini 11]
Izinkinga Nokukhungatheka
Izingcingo ezingafanele ezibuza ngabantu, ezibika ukugula okungatheni nezingozi ezincane, kanye nokushayela u-999 ngephutha noma ngoba nje umuntu edlala, kuyidalela izinkinga inkonzo yezimo eziphuthumayo. Okubi nakakhulu, iziguli kanye nabanye, kuhlanganise namalungu azo omkhaya, baye bazethuka izisebenzi zezokwelapha ezizosiza baze bazihlasela imbala! Kungenzeka laba bantu bathukutheliswa ukucindezeleka, ukudla izidakamizwa, noma ukuphelelwa yisineke ngoba benomuzwa wokuthi usizo lwephuzile ukufika. Ukufundisa umphakathi kuye kwasiza ekulweni nalezi zinkinga, kodwa alikho ikhambi elilula.
[Izithombe ekhasini 10]
Lesi sikhungo sithola izingcingo ezingaba ngu-3 000 ngosuku
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 10]
All photos: Courtesy of London Ambulance Service NHS Trust