Turkish Cypriot ambulance rushes to Nicosia General

A Turkish Cypriot ambulance received police escort in the south on Wednesday, as it was transporting a patient in a medical emergency.

According to Reporter, a patient who was hospitalized in the north and hooked up to a machine, was transported to Nicosia General Hospital following consultations between doctors in both communities.

Police cruisers of the Republic of Cyprus provided escort to a Turkish Cypriot ambulance, as the vehicle with the Red Crescent crossed through the Agios Dhometios/Metehan checkpoint and rushed to the Emergency Room at Nicosia General.

Neither the identity of the patient nor the nature of the medical emergency was made known, while Greek Cypriot doctors in the south did not provide any updates on the patient’s condition.

Transfer of patients between the two communities has occurred in the past within the buffer zone on the divided island, while this was believed to be the first time an ambulance from the north drove all the way to a state hospital in the south.

The ambulance ride was made possible through the workl of bicommunal committees, while it was not immediately clear whether the United Nations had been actively involved.

Police told Knews the ambulance was escorted by a cruiser to ensure an "uneventful and unobstructed route" to its destination.