KUWAIT CITY, Jan 19: In 2024, the Ministry of Health (MoH) handled a total of 173,839 cases, with 137,914 urgent reports received, according to Dr. Ahmad Al-Shatti, Director of the Medical Emergency Department at the MoH. Dr. Al-Shatti shared these figures in a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Saturday, following a ceremony honoring emergency medical technicians and staff from the operations, supply, and support departments who contributed to providing emergency services during the Gulf Cup Football Championship (Gulf 26).

Dr. Al-Shatti highlighted that last year, the total number of cases transported by ambulances was 144,478, with 99,546 of them being urgent cases. The remaining 44,932 cases were non-urgent. Additionally, there were 10,911 road accident cases, 1,062 cases transported by air ambulance, and 78 cases that required medical evacuation. The department also handled 506 cases involving patients arriving and departing through the ports, and conducted 97 mock exercises.

He praised the "tremendous" efforts of the MoH staff, especially the ambulance and medical emergency services, which supported more than a quarter of a million people during the Gulf Cup Championship. This included the fans, participating teams, official delegations, and media guests over the course of 13 days.

Dr. Al-Shatti noted the participation of 463 individuals, 50 ambulances, golf carts, and four-wheel drive bikes in the event. Additionally, 200 emergency technicians were trained on stadium injuries, and 517 cases were addressed during the championship.

Furthermore, Dr. Al-Shatti reported that the “First Aid in Every Home” program benefited 15,000 people, and 3,500 people participated in cardiopulmonary resuscitation activities held in October of the previous year.