References
A review of cases received by the Nepal Ambulance Service over one year
Abstract
Nepal Ambulance Service (NAS) callout data was examined to aid future research into Nepali prehospital care, and identify trends and areas within NAS that may benefit from further training. A retrospective search was carried out of the NAS covering of the calls received and attended by NAS covering a period of 12 months. A total of 5486 cases from the NAS database were included. The data showed there had been a rise in NAS cases over the 12-month period, with 152 more cases being logged in July 2019 than in August 2018, an overall increase of 38.48%. The rise is fairly uniform and consistent month-on-month, except for February 2019, when there was an unexplained reduction. This rise is fairly uniform and consistent, except for February 2019, when there was an unexplained reduction. Respiratory and trauma were the most numerous types of case. The increase in cases is most likely because NAS is growing in popularity. Based on the findings of this paper, it would seem that NAS is set to continue its upward trajectory of callouts. Further research on this service is warranted.
This paper aims to provide data from callouts to Nepal Ambulance Service (NAS) to aid future research into Nepali prehospital care, and identify any trends and areas within NAS that may benefit from further training within NAS. To meet the aims, NAS callout data from a 12-month period was collected and analysed.
NAS uses trained emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to lead ambulance-based care. NAS is a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing first-class care to Nepalese people of all backgrounds.
Throughout the world, patients with life-threatening conditions depend on the timeliness and skill of prehospital clinicians to help prevent avoidable mortality/morbidity. Al-Shaqsi (2010) says any emergency medical service (EMS) is ‘an integral part of any effective and functional health care system’. The same is true in Nepal.
Historically, prehospital care in Nepal has been minimal and underdeveloped (Pandey, 2016). The literature on Nepali prehospital care is limited, as it is on many other countries of similar socioeconomic status (Aluisio et al, 2019). Ambulance services exist but there are no formal national regulations governing them (Bhandari, 2020). A study in 2017 of the eastern Nepal region found the fewer than a quarter stocked adequate emergency medical equipment, and more than half of staff had no basic first aid training (Acharya et al, 2017). Because of this, many private ambulances provide only transport.
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