Motorcycle paramedics to beat traffic in Cyprus

Emergency medics on high-speed motorcycles will soon take to the streets in Nicosia, where ambulances are known in some parts of the capital to arrive late due to traffic.

According to Ambulance Department head Rania Constantinou, two emergency medics have been sent to Greece for special training before assuming duties in the fall as motorcycle medics.

Constantinou, who spoke on state radio on Friday morning, said her department was following practices in other countries with an initiative to train emergency medics to respond to incidents by beating traffic before an ambulance can arrive.

“Certain processes resulting to death begin after four minutes of oxygen deprivation, so it is vital for a medic to arrive quickly,” Constantinou said.

The two medics, who will also receive training in high-speed motorcycle operations, are expected to hit the streets in early September.

Constantinou said more medics would come on board in Nicosia and other cities in the future.