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In a medical emergency, every minute counts. But in intervention or not, some ambulances come to put other people in danger. Between profitability and competition, the reasons for the excesses are surprising.
Ambulances in too much of a hurry cut off motorists and do not respect priorities, causing accidents. Several private ambulance companies are now sounding the alarm. They denounce a competitive system that pushes people to drive ever faster. The SAMU alert has just sounded. Jean-Philippe Papillon, paramedic, has 20 minutes to get there, at the other end of Lyon (Rhône). He is authorized to pass red and stop lights “as long as it does not endanger the life of others”comments Jean-Philippe.
“public dangers”
The patient was taken in time and is no longer in emergency SAMU. Jean-Philippe must now respect the Highway Code. However, some private paramedics do not hesitate to defy the rules. Last August, two teenagers on scooters were killed, hit by an ambulance driver. The drama was recalled in a letter in which Lyon ambulance companies denounce “public dangers”because employers pay them according to the number of trips made per day. However, the practice is illegal.