Education and Training for EMS Personnel in Thailand

Abstract

Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel was one of the important components of emergency medical service (EMS) system. At the beginning, EMS was operated by volunteers to relieve suffering of the citizens. There was no leading agency that was clearly responsible for managing EMS. Then, the EMS system has been systematically developed. In term of EMS personnel development, EMS curriculums and training courses for EMS personnel were set up and continuously developed in order that the EMS personnel could apply knowledge and skills to provide medical intervention to patients appropriately. Currently, Emergency Medicine Act B.E. 2551 has been enacted. This Act contains the definition of EMS personnel: “Operators” mean the persons whose missions are perform work related to emergency medical services as designated by the Emergency Medical Services Committee. It also stipulates rules for EMS agency, curriculum accreditation and EMS curriculum certified towards systematic development of EMS personnel including monitoring any kind of activities relating to EMS. Thus, standardized operators would be able to save lives of emergency patients in accordance with the purpose of Emergency Medicine Act B.E. 2551.