Q & A - WITH RABBI RISKIN
Calling an Ambulance on Shabbat
Question: My five-year-old son's eye became severely swollen on
Shabbat morning. Everyone who saw it told me I must bring him to hospital
immediately. Which is preferable: to drive my own private car to the
hospital, or to call an ambulance?
Answer: For medical emergencies that occur on Shabbat and require a
hospital visit but do not require ambulatory services (such as the urgent
speed, medical equipment or paramedic personnel of an ambulance), it is
better to drive in your own private car. First of all, the ambulance may be
needed by someone else, and second of all each call for an ambulance
requires the involvement of several participants, whereas a private
individual driving someone in need of immediate care is not transgressing
any prohibitions in light of the directive for pikuach nefesh. That said,
one should not hesitate to call an ambulance on Shabbat if it is deemed
necessary.
