MINISTER MEETS WITH AMBULANCE STAFF
Minister meets with ambulance staff
'I CANNOT PRAISE TOO HIGHLY THE SKILLS AND COMMITMENT OF THE AMBULANCE STAFF IN THE WAKE OF THE OMAGH BOMB' - McFALL
BY: MICHELE CANNING
AS HEALTH MINISTER, John McFall, met with ambulance personnel who had been on duty on the day of the Omagh bomb this week it emerged that ambulances were on the scene within four minutes.
Figures released by the Ambulance Service in Omagh bear evidence to the tremendous life-saving work carried out by ambulance personnel in the immediate aftermath of the atrocity, and reveals that the last of the 200 injured were transported to hospital just 25 minutes after the explosion.
The Ambulance Control Centre in Derry enlisted the additional support of colleagues in stations at Altnagelvin, Strabane, Enniskillen, Dungannon, Magherafelt, Cookstown, Armagh and Newry.
In all, 17 ambulances and two helicopters were mobilised and a total of 48 operational ambulance staff were deployed at the scene and at the Tyrone County Hospital.
Helicopters were used to convey patients for immediate specialist treatment to Derry and Belfast.
Four flights took patients to Belfast, four took patients to Derry and there was one flight to Enniskillen.
The Ambulance Service has also told how the last of the 200 injured had been transported to hospital by 3.35pm.
The figures were released as John McFall, the newly appointed Health Minister, visited Omagh Ambulance station on Monday where he paid tribute to the heroic and strenuous efforts of the ambulance staff who assisted at the scene of the Omagh bomb.
The Minister paid tribute to ambulance service personnel who have been in the front line and witnessed at first hand the appalling
consequences of numerous acts of terrorism over the last thirty years.
But he said there have been few more harrowing and horrific sights than those which met the staff in the immediate aftermath of the Omagh atrocity.
"I cannot praise too highly the skill, commitment and sheer professionalism of the ambulance staff who had to cope with the consequences of the explosion.
"Through their strenuous and heroic efforts they brought comfort and relief to those injured and dying and ensured that they got the best possible treatment as quickly as was humanly possible.
"Since the explosion I have met and talked to survivors, relatives and staff throughout the health and personal social services and I wholeheartedly endorse those tributes," said the Minister.
The Minister was greeted by Ivor Oswald, Chairman of the Ambulance Service when he arrived at the Omagh station.
The Chairman explained that ambulance service staff had received many tributes from within and outside Northern Ireland and from ambulance services across Great Britain.
One of the most moving came from the Scottish ambulance service who had dealt with the Dunblane massacre.
Mr Oswald said "Sadly the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service has had to build up expertise in caring for the victims of bombing outrages but long experience would not prepare even the most seasoned ambulance person for the harrowing aftermath of the explosion in Omagh.
"Of all the tributes the most touching came from the families most directly affected who know that ambulance staff did all that they could to bring relief to their loved ones," he added.
'I CANNOT PRAISE TOO HIGHLY THE SKILLS AND COMMITMENT OF THE AMBULANCE STAFF IN THE WAKE OF THE OMAGH BOMB' - McFALL
BY: MICHELE CANNING
AS HEALTH MINISTER, John McFall, met with ambulance personnel who had been on duty on the day of the Omagh bomb this week it emerged that ambulances were on the scene within four minutes.
Figures released by the Ambulance Service in Omagh bear evidence to the tremendous life-saving work carried out by ambulance personnel in the immediate aftermath of the atrocity, and reveals that the last of the 200 injured were transported to hospital just 25 minutes after the explosion.
The Ambulance Control Centre in Derry enlisted the additional support of colleagues in stations at Altnagelvin, Strabane, Enniskillen, Dungannon, Magherafelt, Cookstown, Armagh and Newry.
In all, 17 ambulances and two helicopters were mobilised and a total of 48 operational ambulance staff were deployed at the scene and at the Tyrone County Hospital.
Helicopters were used to convey patients for immediate specialist treatment to Derry and Belfast.
Four flights took patients to Belfast, four took patients to Derry and there was one flight to Enniskillen.
The Ambulance Service has also told how the last of the 200 injured had been transported to hospital by 3.35pm.
The figures were released as John McFall, the newly appointed Health Minister, visited Omagh Ambulance station on Monday where he paid tribute to the heroic and strenuous efforts of the ambulance staff who assisted at the scene of the Omagh bomb.
The Minister paid tribute to ambulance service personnel who have been in the front line and witnessed at first hand the appalling
consequences of numerous acts of terrorism over the last thirty years.
But he said there have been few more harrowing and horrific sights than those which met the staff in the immediate aftermath of the Omagh atrocity.
"I cannot praise too highly the skill, commitment and sheer professionalism of the ambulance staff who had to cope with the consequences of the explosion.
"Through their strenuous and heroic efforts they brought comfort and relief to those injured and dying and ensured that they got the best possible treatment as quickly as was humanly possible.
"Since the explosion I have met and talked to survivors, relatives and staff throughout the health and personal social services and I wholeheartedly endorse those tributes," said the Minister.
The Minister was greeted by Ivor Oswald, Chairman of the Ambulance Service when he arrived at the Omagh station.
The Chairman explained that ambulance service staff had received many tributes from within and outside Northern Ireland and from ambulance services across Great Britain.
One of the most moving came from the Scottish ambulance service who had dealt with the Dunblane massacre.
Mr Oswald said "Sadly the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service has had to build up expertise in caring for the victims of bombing outrages but long experience would not prepare even the most seasoned ambulance person for the harrowing aftermath of the explosion in Omagh.
"Of all the tributes the most touching came from the families most directly affected who know that ambulance staff did all that they could to bring relief to their loved ones," he added.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/0402
Published Date: 10-Sep-98
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