Emergency Services
What is EMS?
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is a type of emergency service dedicated to providing out-of-hospital emergency medical care, transport to definitive care, and other medical transport of patients with illnesses and injuries which prevent the patient from transporting themselves.
How MOH EMS work?
• Members of the public and/ or health care workers (where applicable)activate the EMERGENCY NUMBER 997 whenever there is an emergency.
• Emergency means any life threatening situation resulting from an illness or
accident, which requires urgent treatment and transport to a medical facility
• Patients are then categorized by priority according to the sickest
• The sickest patients will be collected first
• An ambulance is then dispatched to the scene
• The dispatcher will call back to collect more information about the patient
• An ambulance may be diverted enroute to go assist a patient who is more critical.
Why was EMS established?
• In response to the burden of the high incidence of deaths and disabilities resulting from accidents and emergencies
• To improve emergency response to accidents and medical emergencies happening in the out of hospital setting e.g. at home, road traffic accidents
EMS does not transport
• Dead patients
• Patients who need investigations (e.g. blood tests and xrays )and can transport themselves
• Patients who are stable going for check ups
• Non urgent patients referred to other health care facilities
• Patients refusing hospital treatment in government hospital seeking transfer to private, except pediatric (< 13 years) patients who will be transferred and proof of admission verified. In this instance, the ambulance is called by the patient’s nurse
or doctor.
• Remember, EMS does not return patients home or to the referring clinic after treatment.
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