Debrecen4U
February 5, 2026
New Ambulances Delivered to the Debrecen Ambulance Station
Two new ambulance vehicles have arrived at the Debrecen Ambulance Station. The so-called “Heavy Duty” Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 417 CDI emergency response vehicle and the MAN TGE 4.160 ambulance – the latter of which will also serve at the Hajdúsámson Emergency Response Point established exactly ten years ago – were officially handed over on February 4, 2026.
At the event, Dr. Gábor Csató, Director General of the National Ambulance Service, recalled that, when 101 new ambulances purchased last year with approximately 9 billion forints in government funding arrived, it was clear that some of them would be allocated to Hajdú-Bihar County, including Debrecen. The Debrecen station is the largest ambulance station in the country in terms of staff numbers, the number of ambulances in operation, and the volume of tasks performed. Dr. Csató emphasized that the acquisition of these new ambulances is only one milestone along a longer path, as several hundred ambulance units have been replaced in recent years and further new procurements are already being planned for this year as well. The new vehicles now entering service in Debrecen and Hajdúsámson, operated by personnel equipped with the highest level of professional expertise, are capable of providing the best possible assistance to anyone in need. Even so, the Director General expressed his hope that these vehicles will spend most of their time in the garage, as that would indicate fewer people requiring help. Of course, life does not work that way, as the harsh weather conditions of recent weeks have shown that ambulance workloads nationwide increased by 20 percent compared to what is typical for this period, and nearly 17,000 colleagues rose to the challenge during that time. In closing, Dr. Csató thanked the government for its support, his colleagues for their work, and the patients as well, who feel that the ambulance service is doing its job well.
Dr. Diána Széles, Deputy Mayor of Debrecen, stressed that while the handover of new equipment is a joyful occasion, this event is truly about recognizing the ambulance personnel who respond to the very first call, who go out to patients every day, who provide safety for the people of Debrecen, and who can always be relied upon. According to the Deputy Mayor, taking into account the reorganization of the on-call system, Debrecen ambulance crews handle a total of 50,000 cases annually, encountering patients and people in distress that many times. They possess excellent professional knowledge, and as the example of the new ambulances shows, the technical background supporting their work is becoming increasingly modern. This technical background not only serves to improve the quality of patient care but also effectively supports and, in some respects, eases the work of ambulance crews. The newly handed-over vehicles also include equipment that makes moving patients much easier than before. Széles Diána also noted that the government has recognized the importance of healthcare workers’ efforts and acknowledges those who dedicate their lives to this profession and service through wage increases and the provision of a genuine career path. Everyone who contributes to healthcare deserves thanks. The effective functioning of a strong healthcare system requires exemplary cooperation among the state, local governments, economic actors, and healthcare workers – and this cooperation exists in Debrecen. In this context, Dr. Széles Diána also expressed her hope that the gradual renovation and modernization of the Debrecen Ambulance Station, which has been ongoing for years, will continue through this cooperation, allowing staff to carry out their daily work in increasingly high-quality conditions. This, too, is part of the gratitude and recognition owed to ambulance personnel.
As recalled by Szabolcs Antal, Mayor of Hajdúsámson, the Hajdúsámson Emergency Response Point began operations on March 1, 2016. Accordingly, the handover of the ambulance that will also serve in Hajdúsámson is regarded by the town as a 10th birthday gift. In 2016, it was not yet possible to know how important the Hajdúsámson Emergency Response Point would become; however, the fact that in 2025 alone this response point handled more than 1,400 cases and the vehicle stationed there covered more than 90,000 kilometers clearly demonstrates the great need for ensuring safe and professional emergency care for Hajdúsámson, its surrounding area, and neighboring settlements. The mayor highlighted that the contrast between the new ambulances and the old white Nysa ambulance vehicle visible in the background clearly illustrates how far the National Ambulance Service has come over three to four decades in terms of technical conditions. According to Szabolcs Antal, judging by the medical and emergency-technical equipment carried by these new vehicles, the National Ambulance Service is one of the most innovative healthcare institutions in Hungary, and these ambulances would stand their ground anywhere in the world. However, all of this equipment and infrastructure would be worth nothing without dedicated, highly knowledgeable professional staff to operate them. Szabolcs Antal also thanked ambulance personnel for their self-sacrificing work. He added that, in his experience, among the public, ambulance crews and firefighters – as services providing a sense of subjective security – rank among the most popular professions, and that this popularity is due solely to their own merit.
The new ambulances were presented to guests under the guidance of Dr. Ferenc Korcsmáros, Director of the Northern Great Plain Regional Ambulance Organization of the National Ambulance Service. Currently, 220 people work at the Debrecen Ambulance Station, and the station operates a total of 16 ambulance vehicles and one so-called mass-casualty unit. In terms of its equipment, the new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 417 CDI emergency response vehicle can essentially be considered a mobile hospital intensive care unit, with a correspondingly qualified crew: a specialist physician, a specialist nurse, and an ambulance driver who also holds specialist nursing qualifications. The MAN TGE 4.160 ambulance belongs to a different technical category, but it is still capable of direct life-saving interventions, as it is equipped, among other things, with a resuscitation device.
Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu
