How to open a private ambulance
The medical sector, in particular the work of emergency (ambulance) medical care, is gradually being reformed: the government is introducing new changes that will have positive consequences in the long term.
Since the quality of services provided by public health facilities is poor, it is not surprising that private enterprises have emerged that are able to meet all health care needs.
Currently, not only state ambulances, but also private companies operate in the area of emergency care. Their main advantage is the efficiency of the dispatch service and the arrival of the team itself. In particular, the coordinator of a private ambulance receives a call from the first rings and sends the team within 4 minutes to the specified address. Private ambulances work 24/7, just like public ones, but coordinators focus on a wider range of symptoms, diseases, requests for which urgent help needs to be sent.
Necessary premise and equipment
First you need to find the right premises. The private ambulance must have a small duty room for the crew. You will also need a waiting room, an equipped place for storing medicines. However, first of all, it is necessary to equip the adjacent territory on which the garage premise, parking, as well as a place for servicing such parking will be located.
The room for duty, as well as the office for the provision of direct medical care must meet sanitary standards, which is confirmed by the act of sanitary and epidemiological examination of the facility by the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection (the SES act). When the SES act is already in hand, you should take care of the metrological verification of the equipment that is planned to be used in the implementation of medical practice, if it is subject to mandatory metrological verification. It is also necessary to have certificates and other documents required by law.
In addition, the parking and garage premises must meet the relevant standards of the SES. Cars should be checked by a mechanic every 12 hours, as people’s lives can depend on their condition. In this case, it is easiest to equip a workshop for the convenience of servicing cars.
The premises can be rented or owned, but they must be of proper functional purpose and belong to nonresidential fund.
Personnel search
The efficiency and manufacturability of private emergency care must be combined with the professionalism of the team members. One of the most important aspects of providing quality medical care is the education and experience of specialists, therefore, strict requirements are imposed on them:
- availability of sufficient work experience;
- passing BLS, ITLS courses, as well as all upgrading courses;
- mastery of all medical skills;knowledge of foreign language;
- having a driver’s license;
- good physical condition of the medic;
- requirements for the employee’s appearance.
To provide ambulance services, you need to assemble a crew consisting of a driver, a doctor and a paramedic, as well as hire dispatchers.
A mechanic and a nurse are obliged to work on duty directly in the stationary room. Please note that medical staff must prove their qualifications. In this case, the following are suitable:
- a document on higher education of the state standard;
- certificate of a doctor-specialist (pharmacist-specialist);
- certificate of assignment (confirmation) of the relevant qualification category from medical (pharmacist) specialties;
- certificate of completion of professional development;
- work experience – 5 years, or less than 3 years with an internship at the Ministry of Health.
Business registration
Before starting a medical practice, it is necessary to determine the organizational and legal form of your enterprise. Moreover, you can do this both as a legal entity and as an individual – a private entrepreneur.
– A legal entity can carry out its activities through hospitals, clinics, etc. The staff should have the position of the chief physician – the head of a medical institution, who has a diploma in the specialty “Organization and Management of Health Care”.
– An individual – a private entrepreneur must have a medical education. Otherwise, a private entrepreneur is obliged to staff the personnel with medical and non-medical workers in accordance with the declared specialties.
The cost of opening an ambulance, in addition to the cost of renting premises, servicing vehicles and covering utility costs, includes the administrative fee in the amount of one living wage for able-bodied persons at the time of issuing a license for medical practice.
As of November 2021, the amount of one living wage for able-bodied persons is 2379 hryvnas. This fee is paid within 10 days after the decision of the commission of the Ministry of Health on the provision of a medical license for an ambulance.