[hanmust]

With the capacity to treat and carry up to 123 people, and an overall length of 20.03 meters, the world’s largest ambulance - a large-capacity emergency ambulance based on the Mercedes-Benz Citaro articulated bus - has entered the Guinness Book of Records.

On Friday, 25 September 2009, an extraordinary record attempt took place in front of the Rhineland-Palatinate Federal State Parliament building in Mainz, Germany. Representatives from the Center of Ambulance Services of the Government of Dubai, present at the event for the official hand-over of the bus, along with countless onlookers and a large media contingent, were in attendance as the official Guinness Book judges, the Rhineland-Palatinate Interior Minister Karl‑Peter Bruch and the President of the Rhineland-Palatinate Federal State Parliament Joachim Mertes took the measurements to determine the precise carrying capacity of the Citaro. The entry in the Guinness Book of records is attributed to the companies which designed, built and equipped the bus.

This simulation revealed that the large-capacity emergency ambulance is capable of treating and transporting up to 123 people. The variant of the articulated bus which broke the world record has an overall length of 20.03 metres (including a rear-mounted medical-supplies box) and is the third Mercedes-Benz large-capacity emergency ambulance to be delivered to Dubai. Two standard buses measuring 12 metres in length and one articulated bus measuring 18 metres in length are used as large-capacity emergency ambulances in Dubai. Bus variant A is designed as a mobile intensive-care unit, while variant B features equipment for the large-scale treatment and transport of medium to slightly injured accident victims. Bus variant C is a combination of variants A and B.


The three Mercedes-Benz clinic buses were ordered so that rapid medical assistance can be provided in the event of major incidents, i.e. accidents or disasters involving large numbers of injury victims. After all, the survival chances of very seriously injured people depend largely on them receiving rapid first-aid treatment. While a two-man crew is normally only able to care for one patient in an ambulance, up to 20 patients can receive care from four medical specialists in the Mercedes-Benz large-capacity emergency ambulance. The vehicles were produced by conversion specialist Gebrüder Heymann GmbH, based on the concept and design provided by international research and consultancy company Von Bergh Global Medical Consulting, which was also responsible for project management.

The entry in the Guinness Book of Records is the latest chapter in the Mercedes‑Benz Citaro success story. On 8 September, Citaro bus number 25,000 was handed over to a company called infra fürth verkehr gmbh, making the Citaro the most successful urban bus of all time.

Source: Daimler Media

[Lukeskywalker]

Wonder how fast such a large vehicle can reach a disaster location, it looks more like a mobile hospital.

[Technocrat]

Yeah exactly my thoughts, it looks like hospital on wheels rather than an Ambulance

[phamilyman]

heck even then

123 paramedics or 123 patients? can't be the latter. just not possible. most such buses barely carry that number of commuters!!!

[simply_sunny001]

I have seen the same Citaro buses here and i am sure they can do 80-100 easily without breaking a sweat.

so its not that slow and this type of Ambulance is meant for the Major incidents where normal Ambulances are not sufficient.

[Bhargava_sr]

Cant Imagine of any recovery if these buses were in India, Traffic would kill the patients, Here Maruti Omni struggles piercing into traffic.

Guess these Merc Buses are built for major accidents / Disaster recoveries

[Nitin]

Mostly part of the quick response teams when calamity strikes.Highly efficient and the only way maximum lives can be saved in a short span of time.

[xingamazon]

To me it looks more of a show-piece, record breaking attempt vehicle. Not sure if it would really serve the purpose for which it is being produced.

[Lukeskywalker]

It's not about how fast it can go in terms of speed, but how quickly it can get close to a disaster area with it being so long and all.

[SRK]

What a Great Machine..

May be a smaller version having off road capabilities could be made to treat our people in villages which don't have basic facilities like a hospital. What say?

[prince_pervez]

The size of this thing seems to be the only deterent to saving lives.

[hillram]

This could be very useful in India,especially in the rural areas for camps and mobile check ups...ofc the suspension has to be redone for Indian rural roads.

[evo]

Whoa, this is really brilliant, the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation allegedly splurged some 260 crores in India to print AIDS awareness poster and hired Mckinsey types to do that, now we know where the money should have gone

[hanmust]

Originally Posted by Bhargava_sr

Cant Imagine of any recovery if these buses were in India, Traffic would kill the patients, Here Maruti Omni struggles piercing into traffic.

Guess these Merc Buses are built for major accidents / Disaster recoveries

Thats a good one!

This will be a mobile ICU in which they could do the first hand preventions during major accidents. This ambulance will be taken next to the accident zone to give the injured the prime treatment to save life before reaching the hospitals which will be kilometers away!

[HappyWheels]

A good initiative.

Such buses are already plying on the roads of UAE and these buses have good enough speed of around 100kmph. Add this with the proper roads on Dubai, the emergency lane and people's respect for the law, I do not think it will be an issue to reach the spot quicker.

Guess the last pile up at the AbudDhabhi - Dubai highway got some people thinking. Good!