In ancient times man used to live in groups& aided each other. They used to be one individual who had special power to cure others. Hostile relations between countries, states or factions led to fighting between armed force especially in land, water &air. New form of war fares resulted new type of injuries .It was only then that the necessity of emergency medical services were badly felt. In 1700 Napoleon first developed an ambulance called “Ambulance Volantes”to carry the wounded soldiers out of the battle field.
Paramedic as we know it today had its beginning in the year 1790.This was the first ever documented emergency medical service. It was simply to carry the injured soldiers to the rear where they can provided with medical treatments. A nurse called Clara Barton began such a service during American Civil War and later on helped a lot in the formation of the American Red Cross. During World War I, many volunteered to join the battlefield ambulance corps. In 1900 ambulance services in some major American were used as transport services only offering no emergency care. Often the local undertaker provided a hearse for ambulance transport. The fire service was only the responsible agency who provided emergency care along with transport to the hospital.
The Korean War in the year 1953 was the perfect proving ground for trained medics who can provide pre hospital care. At that time helicopters were mostly used as ambulances. The national highway Traffic Safety Administration of the department of transportation, formed the highway safety act of 1966, and the department of health, education, and welfare (DEHW), formed the emergency medical services act of 1973.Through these Act they created sources to donate funds for developing improved pre-hospital emergency care. In early 1970’s local EMS systems were established by thousands of dedicated individuals with the assistance of a number of professional organizations.
In the year 1980,the doctors looked back at what was done in the 70’s .They thought of improving the system by developing educational programmes to provide consistent levels of quality care to the sick and the injured. The programmes included additional classroom trainings as well as programs for certification, continuing education, and mandatory retraining Although improvements were done in the pre-hospital care, a great deal remained to be done. The gap between available services and people who needed was narrowing but still existed in many areas of the country.
In the 1990’s we have reached an era when we can define the value of the emergency medical technician (EMT) trough scientific research.
The responsibility placed upon EMTs is increasing and will continue to expand. The level of care provided by the EMT will significantly increase for many reasons.
EMS provides the best possible emergency medical care in shortest possible time. It is made up of various components. They are:
- An Advisory Council
- Physician directed medical control
- Dispatch centers
- Ambulance service
- Disaster plans
- Funding
Various instances which made people feel their necessity.
1. A man & his son were driving in the parkway .Suddenly, the car behind them crashed into their car. The man was knocked unconscious. Another driver dialed 911 for help. The first medical responders to the scene were the paramedics.
2. Simi’s grandfather suddenly started having severe chest pains. . Simi called 911 because she was afraid his grandfather was having a heart attack. The paramedics came to assess the situation and decided to rush him to the hospital.
Paramedics are the most important medical providers in an emergency situation before reaching the hospital. They provide sophisticated medical care by using special, complicated medical equipment.
Article provided by Future-tech Inc.
