Thuraya Telecommunications Company will showcase a "Connected Ambulance" at this year’s Arab Health Exhibition and Congress, which will start on Monday at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

The emergency vehicle will feature an integrated telemedicine solution and a Thuraya IP Voyager terminal.

The exhibition will take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 30th January to 2nd February, and will include live demonstrations of the Connected Ambulance. These demonstrations will be presented in collaboration with Scotty, a solutions provider and manufacturer of communications solutions, as well as AVM Auto Engineering, a company that specialises in custom solutions for purpose built vehicles.

This new "ambulance to hospital" telemedicine system works through Thuraya’s extensive network by connecting both wired and wireless medical devices in the ambulance to hospitals and diagnosing physicians.

Accident victims can now receive the most effective urgent treatment, either immediately or on the way to the hospital. Connected Ambulance will significantly extend the capabilities of paramedics and first responders by enabling them to interact with both doctors and medical equipment that are based elsewhere.

By using Connected Ambulance, paramedics can automatically transmit data on a patient's vital signs over Thuraya’s satellite network. Doctors who are not on the scene can also choose which on-board camera to use for zooming in on injuries and wounds to perform close analysis.

"In relief missions or emergency medical services, time is a matter of life and death. This integrated telemedicine solution is a great example of how mobile satellite technology can save lives. We can now get patient information to the hospital or doctors in real time, enabling remote diagnosis and primary care, and transforming rescue response," said Nerin Abu Keer, Land IP Product Manager at Thuraya.

Connected Ambulance can supplement the existing skills and traditional operational tools that healthcare providers currently use by helping them deliver accessible and affordable emergency care through the use of new technologies. This ability to improve the levels of early care at the scene of the accident, or on the way to hospital before reaching the emergency room, could greatly enhance both the survival chances and the level of future health for patients.