News / National
Doctors, ambulance firm clash
15 Aug 2021 at 04:00hrs | Views
MEDICAL practitioners have taken a swipe at an ambulance company for its alleged unprofessional conduct after it ran an advert demeaning doctors.
Last week Ace Air and Ambulances ran an advert on its Facebook page implying that a three-year-old girl died after she had drowned in a pool.
An attempt to save her life hit a brick wall after a nearby doctor failed to assist. The ambulance service company said it would have been best if the family had called Ace Air and Ambulances.
The message on the advert did not go well with doctors, who felt it was disparaging and unethical.
Medical and dental Private Practitioners of Zimbabwe Association (MdPPZA) secretary-general Cleto Masiya in a statement said their organisation was perturbed by the advert.
"The story is unpalatable as it is not only flabbergasting, but also a direct attack on the medical practitioners, who have stood firm and astute to defend our beautiful country," Masiya said.
"If there were any issues, the ambulance service was supposed to seek better ways unlike acting as both a player and a referee.
"It was just recent when we received some complaints from our members that Ace Air and Ambulances was making life difficult for Covid-19 patients, who do not have PCR result despite a positive antigen test, an argument, which is unsavoury considering that the result will already be pointing to a positive test, which is what is needed for precautionary measures. We seek peace and understanding in this delicate medical industry at this juncture.
"We would like to put it on record that general practitioners across the country are not only qualified professionals; they attend to emergencies of various kinds.
They are often the bridge between the community and the emergency room." Masiya said MdPPZA distances itself from Ace Air and Ambulances' poor attempt at advertising their services and their unprofessional conduct.
Ace Air and Ambulances on Thursday issued an apology seeking to make peace with general practitioners.
"Our Ace marketing department would like to sincerely apologise for a previous statement posted on our Facebook page regarding the importance and value of general practitioners, which was removed an hour later after a senior member of our staff noticed the post," read the apology.
"This was not at all our intention to disparage any person or general practitioner and as an ambulance service we employ and work very closely with GPs, who are more than capable of attending to emergencies.
Last week Ace Air and Ambulances ran an advert on its Facebook page implying that a three-year-old girl died after she had drowned in a pool.
An attempt to save her life hit a brick wall after a nearby doctor failed to assist. The ambulance service company said it would have been best if the family had called Ace Air and Ambulances.
The message on the advert did not go well with doctors, who felt it was disparaging and unethical.
Medical and dental Private Practitioners of Zimbabwe Association (MdPPZA) secretary-general Cleto Masiya in a statement said their organisation was perturbed by the advert.
"The story is unpalatable as it is not only flabbergasting, but also a direct attack on the medical practitioners, who have stood firm and astute to defend our beautiful country," Masiya said.
"If there were any issues, the ambulance service was supposed to seek better ways unlike acting as both a player and a referee.
"It was just recent when we received some complaints from our members that Ace Air and Ambulances was making life difficult for Covid-19 patients, who do not have PCR result despite a positive antigen test, an argument, which is unsavoury considering that the result will already be pointing to a positive test, which is what is needed for precautionary measures. We seek peace and understanding in this delicate medical industry at this juncture.
"We would like to put it on record that general practitioners across the country are not only qualified professionals; they attend to emergencies of various kinds.
They are often the bridge between the community and the emergency room." Masiya said MdPPZA distances itself from Ace Air and Ambulances' poor attempt at advertising their services and their unprofessional conduct.
Ace Air and Ambulances on Thursday issued an apology seeking to make peace with general practitioners.
"Our Ace marketing department would like to sincerely apologise for a previous statement posted on our Facebook page regarding the importance and value of general practitioners, which was removed an hour later after a senior member of our staff noticed the post," read the apology.
"This was not at all our intention to disparage any person or general practitioner and as an ambulance service we employ and work very closely with GPs, who are more than capable of attending to emergencies.
Source - the standard
