Pre Hospital Medical Service / Emergency Medical Service / EMS

Has evolved from the days when local funeral homes transported the ill and injured to a highly organized and structured system of emergency medical services (EMS). Is a service providing out-of-hospital acute care and transport to definitive care, of patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient believes constitutes a medical emergency. It is a complete system capable of responding to the medical and surgical emergencies of a community with prompt and adequate emergency care. The most common and recognized EMS type is an ambulances prehospital care. The aim of EMS is to provide treatment to those in need of urgent medical care, with the goal of either satisfactorily treating the malady, or arranging for timely removal of the patient to the next point of definitive care which is an emergency department at a health institution. In some areas, EMS units may handle technical rescue operations such as extrication, water rescue, and search and rescue. In most places in the world, the EMS is summoned by members of the public via an emergency telephone number usually of three digit which puts them in contact with the control center for the EMS (Dispatch center), who will then dispatch a suitable team to deal with the situation. An EMS exists to fulfill the basic principles of First Aid, which are to:

  • Preserve Life
  • Prevent Further Injury and
  • Promote Recovery. (For detail see session II)
Last modified: Tuesday, 21 March 2017, 7:53 PM