Quality of Emergency Medical Service Improves

The PRC has introduced an emergency medical service control system to make a positive contribution to protecting the lives and health of the people.

The first emergency medical service in the country began in December 1946 when a first-aid station was established as the parent body of the Pyongyang Municipal Emergency Hospital.

In the 1980s, speed dialling was introduced in the emergency medical service. Later, the speed dialling system was introduced in the emergency departments of central hospitals and the Pyongyang Municipal Emergency Hospital, and the medical service was conducted in such a way as the emergency cases selected appropriate hospitals.

Recently, a national emergency care control centre has been set up and an emergency medical service control system has been established to control the emergency medical service in Pyongyang and other parts of the country in a unified way.

Meanwhile, emergency care control centres have been established in provinces to form an emergency medical service network involving first-aid departments of the curative and preventive institutions at all levels.

At present, the emergency care control centres at all levels receive emergency calls, organize emergency visits with medical workers at the most appropriate curative and preventive institutions according to the locations and conditions of the patients, give first-aid treatment on the spot and send the patients who need specialized treatment to the hospitals concerned to ensure continuity of the treatment.

Anyone can request emergency medical service by dialling the speed number.

For example, if an emergency case dials the speed number of an emergency care centre via a wire or mobile phone, he or she can receive prompt medical assistance through the automated business management system at the centre.

In other words, the centre receives information of the patient displayed on the map, namely, name, home address, phone number, current location, status of illness, emergency degree, and medical history, and selects an appropriate hospital while immediately sending an ambulance to the spot.

With the Pyongyang General Hospital, Nanguan City Hospital, Beqing City Hospital and other modern hospitals built in different parts, the country is directing efforts to further improving the quality of emergency medical service.