• Ahmed Al-Wathinani, Attila J Hertelendy, Sultana Alhurishi, Abdulmajeed Mobrad, Riyadh Alhazmi, Mohammad Altuwaijri, Meshal Alanazi, Raied Alotaibi, and Krzysztof Goniewicz.
• Department of Emergency Medical Services, Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz College Emergency Medical Services, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
• Healthcare (Basel). 2020 Dec 24; 9 (1).

AbstractThe impact on the utilization of emergency medical services (EMS) in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic. We studied cumulative data from emergency calls collected from the SRCA. Data were separated into three periods: before COVID-19 (1 January-29 February 2020), during COVID-19 (1 March-23 April 2020), and during the Holy Month of Ramadan (24 April-23 May 2020). A marked increase of cases was handled during the COVID-19 period compared to the number before pandemic. Increases in all types of cases, except for those related to trauma, occurred during COVID-19, with all regions experiencing increased call volumes during COVID-19 compared with before pandemic. Demand for EMS significantly increased throughout Saudi Arabia during the pandemic period. Use of the mobile application ASAFNY to request an ambulance almost doubled during the pandemic but remained a small fraction of total calls. Altered weekly call patterns and increased call volume during the pandemic indicated not only a need for increased staff but an alteration in staffing patterns.

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