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Not only in developing countries but also in developed countries, people use bicycle ambulances. The basic idea is the same: bicycle ambulances are used in order to get medical care as soon as possible. However, there are differences in how and why bicycle ambulances are used in developed and developing countries.
In developing countries, people cannot access hospitals easily due to the small number of hospitals and the lack of transportation. The bicycle ambulance is one solution to this problem. It is a simple method of transportation for carrying patients to and from the nearest health facility. In addition, people of poor economic status can use bicycle ambulances because of their low running costs. They can easily learn how to use them and be ambulance drivers.
In contrast, bicycle ambulances in developed countries are not for patients but for medical doctors. Over the past ten years, medical staff using bicycles in London have treated around 50,000 patients. The bicycle ambulance is used to reach patients faster in crowded areas. Bicycle doctors are now dealing with thousands of emergency calls a year. All bicycles carry the same important medical tools as normal ambulances. If a patient does not need to be taken to a hospital, the bicycle staff can cancel an ambulance, which is then available for other patients. In the last ten years, the team has saved over 20,000 ambulance journeys, equal to 300,000 pounds of fuel and 400 tons of CO2.