A new feature will soon be added to the LifeSaver app by Vodafone Hungary Foundation and the National Ambulance Service. The development will allow a video connection to be established between the emergency call center and those in trouble. Video call can be of great help to those involved in the rescue process in case of traffic accidents or emergency situations, making telephone first-aid more efficient, also creating a better communication platform for hearing-impaired people in need of help.
Emergency call centers around the world are an important part of emergency services, since dispatchers who receive calls are the first to be contacted by emergency callers. The process of assistance is largely influenced by the information that is being provided to the center. The only connection previously was the phone call, but thanks to Vodafone Hungary Foundation and the National Ambulance Service’s LifeSaver application, this has been supplemented with information on the location coordinates and the medical data of the caller. All this extra information can significantly shorten the time needed to start the assistance process. However, the soon-to-be-available development of the LifeSaver application will revolutionize the work of the emergency call centers. The video call feature allows dispatchers to see the real circumstances of the cases.
“As a technology company, we see the need for communication has changed: video-based calls are gaining more and more ground. This trend is expected to only increase, as the expansion of the next generation mobile network, 5G, will also bring a breakthrough in video calls: the astonishing speed and minimal latency will allow instantaneous and real time calls. For these reasons, when we first heard about the possibility of a video call feature in connection with the LifeSaver app, there was no question that we had to get into it, as this would utilize the benefits of the video function in one of the most important areas – healthcare.” – said Dr. Anita Orbán, CEO of Vodafone Hungary responsible for Corporate Relations, curator of the Vodafone Hungary Foundation.
The soon-to-be-available video connection feature in the LifeSaver application can be of great help, inter alia, in the case of traffic accidents and other emergency situations, as it can provide vital information to the emergency call center on the nature of the case, the number of injured and the severity of their health status. Similarly, it can be of great help in the first-aid process. Video calls allow the dispatcher to check the current state of health (for example, the severity of the injury) of the patient/injured and the first-aid provided in detail. In addition to the above, the innovation creates a more efficient communication platform for hearing-impaired callers. On the one hand, they can provide much more comprehensive information to the emergency call center, on the other hand, video connection also allows them to communicate in sign language. The add-on also offers the opportunity to provide the ambulance staff with valuable extra information, since the video call between the caller and the emergency call center can be shared with the ambulance staff en route to the location of the emergency, letting them know how to prepare for the right medical assistance.
“We consciously strive to use state-of-the-art digital solutions to save lives, including the LifeSaver application we launched last January together with Vodafone Hungary Foundation. With continuous development, soon not only will incoming data and audio connection, but also real-time visual contact support our colleagues in fast and professional assistance.” – said Dr. Gábor Csató, General Director of the National Ambulance Service.
About LifeSaver app
The LifeSaver application was launched in January 2020 by Vodafone Hungary Foundation and the National Rescue Service. The primary aim of the application is to make emergency calls faster and more efficient. The LifeSaver, in addition to allowing accurate positioning and displaying pre-uploaded medical data to the ambulance staff, includes the location of pharmacies, hospitals, defibrillators closest to the user and includes a first-aid guide as well. A number of important innovations have been added to the application in the last year, including the Covid19 Information button, push notifications and chatbot function.
The application has been downloaded over 530,000 times in a bit more than 1 year since its launch and has provided assistance in 3,200 cases.
Vodafone Hungary
