The RRC Kursk regional branch has upgraded two medical vehicles to meet the standards of the RF Ministry of Health, bringing them up to the level of Class B ambulances. Apart fr om patient transfer, they can now be used to administer first aid on the spot.
Both vehicles have been in regional branch’s possession since November, 2024. Categorized initially under medical transport (class А), they were used to evacuate and transfer patients with limited mobility as well as to carry RRC staff on humanitarian missions to remote communities within the region for preventive examination.
Now both vehicles have additional medical equipment and emergency response devices on board, making them compliant with the class B standard. Those include, in particular, a defibrillator, an ECG machine, a pulse oximeter, an oxygen tank (10 liters or more), and first aid and medical assistance kits. The vehicles have an improved stretcher system, additional immobilization devices, and enhanced climate control and navigation equipment. This will enable staff to provide emergency assistance if the patient’s condition deteriorates in transit or prior to the arrival of emergency services. In addition to standard equipment, crews will be provided with the Russian Red Cross first aid kits specially designed for use in emergencies with large casualty numbers, and hygiene kits for long-distance transit, such as interregional evacuations.
“Of course, we view this event as important and symbolic. It constitutes yet another way for the Russian Red Cross to reassume its historical role. In the Soviet period, the national society was actively involved in casualty evacuations, had its own medical vehicles and was integrated with the public health system. Today we rely on that experience to develop modern forms of emergency response. It is important that the majority of the Kursk regional branch team have medical background, including its chairman who is a professional doctor with years of hands-on experience. This determined his competent approach to technical upgrading of the vehicles and prompted the solutions which would be most useful when working in the field,” said Pavel Savchuk, President of the Russian Red Cross and member of the RF Civic Chamber.
International practice has also demonstrated the effectiveness of using ambulances within the structure of Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies: this type of vehicles are possessed by NS in Germany, Japan, Italy, Turkey and other countries wh ere they operate as part of their nationwide emergency response systems.
Both vehicles now make an integral part of the RRC mobile aid infrastructure. Apart from missions, they are used in specialty training of volunteers and emergency response skills practice. The vehicles are also used for regional branch-level educational activities: staff members conduct mini-tours exposing visitors to genuine medical equipment and explaining how it helps save lives.
