Paramedicine for our communities

Paramedicine, as we know it today, is still in its infancy when compared with other healthcare professions. Militaries around the world initiated the profession by training soldiers to be physician (medic) assistants on the battlefield—hence the term ‘paramedic’. It is useful and beneficial for any civil society to have trained personnel that can not only transport patients to hospital, but also deliver medical care outside of a controlled setting.

Internationally, a variety of healthcare providers perform this role—mostly coming from the nursing profession—but over the last 40 years or so, there has been a move towards a field of paramedicine which stands on its own. It is evident from the health authorities in the major developed nations that paramedicine has become a distinctly registered and regulated profession, moving to degree-level education as a minimum standard.

The growth of paramedicine as a profession has not come easily in civil society. Within a short time, paramedics have had to prove their worth, ability, and safety to practice in the healthcare domain. It was not so long ago when paramedics could do no more than apply basic first aid, using things like oxygen and bandages in the back of an ambulance, and rush a patient to hospital. Today we have a myriad of advanced skills and specially trained paramedics that can provide almost the same level of care out-of-hospital as that which is available in the emergency room. However, although paramedicine alleviates the pressure on overall healthcare demands, there will always be a need to take patients to hospital for care beyond what a paramedic can provide. There is always a lot of emphasis on what paramedics can or cannot do in the out-of-hospital setting, with overwhelming attention on the training and audit required to maintain or broaden their skillset.