Unmet Need for Emergency Medical Services in Hanoi, Vietnam
Bui Hai Hoang, Thi Hue Mai, Thai Son Dinh, Thanh Nguyen, Trung Anh Dang, Van Cuong Le, Quoc Chinh Luong, Shinji Nakahara
Abstract
Low- and middle-income countries urgently need to improve emergency medical services (EMSs) as a component of their healthcare systems. Here, we detailed EMS resources and their provision in Hanoi, Vietnam, and discussed necessary policies to upgrade EMSs. Between 2013 and 2018, EMS resources, measured as provider-to-population and ambulance-to-population ratios, decreased, whereas service provision, measured as the number of patients transported by ambulance per population, increased. EMS resources and their provision in Hanoi are far below the standards of high-income countries or figures in neighboring Asian countries. Therefore, it is imperative to upgrade health policies for the appropriate allocation of healthcare resources to EMSs and hospital services.