Late at night on February 15, an ambulance was requested for an emergency in Għaxaq. To begin with, the ambulance wasted precious time to find the private residence which, by the way, was located on a main road.

There are no words to describe the terrible manner in which the patient was handled to be given cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the floor as there was no stretcher on the ambulance and the only two-inch-high piece of material available in the ambulance had no handles, rendering it useless.

Not to mention the long wait until the doctor from the polyclinic arrived after several failed attempts by the nurse to contact him.

Isn't it time citizens had a right to decent and efficient health services? The ambulances must be checked to make sure that all medical equipment on board is present and in a good state. Also, they should be equipped with satellite navigation systems saving precious time, which may be what eventually saves a life.

May God grant eternal rest to the person who was involved in this incident, as this precious life was lost.