New regulation will make distinguishing ambulances easier

Soon in Belgium there will be two clear categories of ambulances: yellow ambulances for emergency and urgent patient transport, and white ambulances for non-urgent patient transport. The second category will not use flashing lights and sirens.

The new federal measure follows some confusion among medical assistance workers during the March 2016 terrorist attacks. While some ambulances contain specific emergency equipment and are manned by highly trained staff, others are only used for non-urgent transport. The difference between the two is difficult to distinguish.

“There is no time for confusion after an accident or disaster,” said federal health minister Maggie De Block, introducing the new regulation. The Belgian Professional Association of Ambulance Services supports the plans, including the decision that ambulances transporting patients will no longer use flashing light or siren. “Flashing lights have been at times misused in order to get a patient to an appointment on time or to avoid a traffic jam,” said Jan Bollen, director of the association.

Bollen said, however, that a solution is required for companies that use the same ambulance for both urgent and non-urgent transport.

Photo: Belambu/Peter Moorkens