Calpe Town Council has awarded the preventive ambulance service to the Valencian company Ambulancias Vallada, following the corresponding public tender process organised by the municipal technical services. Three companies participated in this tender and, ultimately, Ambulancias Vallada obtained the highest technical and economic score, becoming the successful bidder for the contract.
The Calpe Town Council points out that municipalities do not have jurisdiction over medical transport, which is the responsibility of the Regional Ministry of Health of the Valencian Government, but they do have jurisdiction over prevention and civil protection. This is the context for the new ambulance contract, which aims to strengthen public safety and guarantee an immediate response to emergencies that may arise during events and activities organised by the Town Council.
The Town Council wished to take advantage of this announcement to publicly acknowledge the extraordinary work that the Red Cross has been doing for years in Calpe. ‘Their professionalism, commitment and dedication have been fundamental in preventive healthcare, in assisting citizens and in responding to emergency situations,’ said Ana Sala, Mayor of Calpe.
The Council wanted to take advantage of this announcement to publicly recognise the work that the Red Cross has been doing for years in Calpe. "Current regulations prohibit us from signing collaboration agreements. The Council will continue to fight and work to find other ways of collaborating with the Red Cross," said Itziar Doval, head of the Council's Social Services department.
With this award, the Council reiterates its commitment to the safety, prevention and well-being of citizens, and maintains its willingness to continue working closely with all entities that contribute to the development and quality of life of the municipality.
The governing team (Somos Calpe, PSPV-PSOE and Compromís) has presented a motion calling on the Valencian Regional Government to urgently reinforce the ambulance service in Calpe in view of the lack of healthcare protection in the municipality.
The text points out that, despite the significant increase in population during the high season and the complex terrain of the municipality, Calpe currently only has one 24-hour Basic Life Support (BLS) unit and another 12-hour unit, in addition to a SAMU based in Benissa that also serves other municipalities, which can lead to response times that exceed the recommended levels.
The motion demands that the Regional Government extend the BVS based in La Fossa to 24 hours and provide Calpe with a permanent SAMU base, draw up a specific plan to improve response times and review the criteria for allocating health resources in tourist municipalities such as Calpe, while also requesting that legal formulas be studied to enable, if appropriate, the provision of a municipal ambulance to complement the regional service.