SAMU Responds to 2,000 Emergency Calls Every Day Across Mauritius Island

Mauritius’s emergency medical service, SAMU, is managing around 2,000 incoming and outgoing calls every single day via its 114 emergency hotline, it has been revealed.

The figure, which averages just under 100 calls per hour, covers critical life-or-death situations across the island, including severe road traffic accidents, cardiac arrests, strokes, drownings, and home medical emergencies.

First established in 1997 by the Ministry of Health and Wellness with financial and logistical support from the French government, SAMU (Service d’aide médicale d’urgence) has spent nearly 30 years anchoring the nation’s healthcare response.

Its primary directive is to deliver specialised medical care directly to patients before they reach a hospital, significantly boosting survival rates.

Dr Prittisingh Bossoondyal, Director of Emergency Services, emphasised that emergency medicine hinges on rapid intervention and seamless coordination.

“The care provided at the scene of an incident can make the difference between life and death,” Dr Bossoondyal explained.

At the heart of the operation is the 114 control room, which runs 24 hours a day. Operations are permanently supervised by an on-duty doctor who coordinates 11 specialised SAMU teams deployed across Mauritius.

The doctor is supported by six emergency medical dispatchers per shift, who gather essential data and triage the urgency of incoming calls.

To ensure rapid response times during critical incidents, SAMU collaborates closely with local police, fire, and rescue services.

Unlike standard transport ambulances, SAMU’s 11 vehicles operate as advanced care mobile units equipped to administer complex medical treatments on-site.

Each mobile unit is staffed by an emergency doctor, two specialised nurses, and a driver trained in advanced first aid.

The service focuses primarily on life-threatening emergencies. These include cardio-respiratory arrests, heart attacks, strokes, severe trauma, road accidents, acute asthma attacks, drownings, major burns, and emergency home births.

Beyond frontline scene responses, SAMU manages specialised medical transfers between healthcare facilities for major examinations or highly specific treatments.

The service also accommodates patients arriving from Rodrigues and Agalega, alongside managing medical evacuations for patients requiring treatment abroad.

The infrastructure relies on a dedicated workforce of 27 emergency doctors, 30 doctors undergoing specialised training, 72 nursing staff, 24 dispatchers, and 23 emergency-trained drivers.

Nearly three decades since its inception, the service remains a fundamental pillar of emergency care in Mauritius, offering a reassuring presence to families facing unexpected medical crises.

Source: Le Mauricien