Stereotypes surrounding the use of ambulances for conveying corpses in Africa.

On hearing the sound of a siren, wee woo! wee woo!! wee woo!!!, I usually look around to see if it was an ambulance. Then, if it was, I unconsciously observe a moment of silence for the dead. I know many people would be in the same boat as I am because of what our part of the world has labelled an ambulance to be used for.

All through my practice in the hospital, i have only seen just one semi standard ambulance with a stretcher for patients to be conveyed in, otherwise, most of them are just designed to fit in coffins.

Ideally, an ambulance should be used to provide clinical interventions for seriously ill patients and transporting people to hospital in an emergency situations. It is also used for referring patients onto alternative services across healthcare facilities. Now my question is, why are we deviating from the intended use of an ambulance? It sounds to me like a misplacement of priority.

Logically, the people in emergency need of medical services are expected to be in an ambulance, not the dead. The living need all the help and medical attention they can access, thus, should be prioritized.