GEORGE TOWN: It is an uncommon sight to see a woman behind the wheel of an ambulance as such vehicles are usually driven by men.

However, paramedic Nur Azwa Saiful Bahrin, 30, who is an assistant medical officer (AMO) at the Emergency Department of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Hospital in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, has proven that there are no barriers for women when it comes to driving ambulances.

Sharing her story, Nur Azwa said she accepted the job when she first reported for work as an AMO in 2015.

"Starting in 2018, every time I get an emergency call and am assigned to go to the scene, I am usually paired with another AMO responsible for checking and making sure the ambulance and emergency equipment bags are in good condition and ready for use because most trauma or medical cases need to be treated immediately at the scene or in an ambulance.

"I experienced various challenges, ups and downs and bittersweet insults when dealing with various categories of society and that was part and parcel of my life.

"Nevertheless, the experience has matured me in making decisions to solve a case," she said in an interview shared on USM's Facebook page.

Nur Azwa said when she first started working, the community was doubtful whether women would be able to carry out the tasks as well as men.

"They had trouble accepting us at first. They didn't think we had the skills and expertise.

"However, when we started managing the patients, from giving treatment to lifting and pushing the patients into the ambulance, they were amazed to see the power of women who are also able to perform tasks that were previously monopolised by men.

"Thank you to USM for giving us, female AMOs, this opportunity and responsibility to carry out the same scope of work so that we can compete and be in line with the male AMOs," said the Negri Sembilan-born lass.

Nur Azwa is also grateful for the encouragement provided by her family and friends who believed in her.

Senior lecturer of the Department of Emergency Medicine, USM School of Medical Sciences, who is also the coordinator of pre-hospital services, Dr Mohd Shaharudin Shah Che Hamzah, said USM Hospital was the pioneer in the country to introduce AMO (women and men) as drivers and at the same time provide ambulatory services.

"The idea to introduce this came after the big floods in 2014 and we felt that the ambulance service needed to be upgraded.

"In the past, the ambulance service was operated by a driver, a health care assistant, an AMO and a medical officer, which required four staff at a time to handle an ambulance call case.

"Since March 15, 2017, USM Hospital started a system where two AMOs are assigned to operate an ambulance, including driving and treating victims," he said.

Dr Shaharudin Shah, who is also the Disaster Management Centre coordinator, USM Health Campus, said this system was the brainchild of USM Hospital director Professor Datuk Dr Nik Hisamuddin Nik Ab Rahman, who was then head of department of USM Emergency Medicine Department.

He said the hospital's ambulatory care services had improved tremendously after the system was implemented. Now it only takes 11.3 minutes for an ambulance to reach the scene of an accident after receiving a call, a vast improvement from the previous 28.7 minutes.

- Source from nst.com.my