1Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
2Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
3Health Insurance System Research Office, Nonthaburi, Thailand
Online published on 19 November, 2012.
Obstacles to developing effective Emergency Medical Services (EMS) include a lack of structural models, inappropriate training foci, concerns about cost, and sustainability in the face of a high demand for services. This reported case study from Thailand demonstrated how these obstacles had been addressed through incremental changes via a few initiatives on trauma care. Universal health insurance system and health systems and health financing reforms had taken place during the last 2 decades, and created a window of opportunity for sustainable EMS development in Thailand.
Emergency medical service, EMS, Medical transport service, MTS
