Emergency medical services in China

The objective of this article is to identify and describe Chinese emergency medical services (EMS) components. Chinese EMS system development began in the 1980s with 'importing' of EMS principles from other systems. China is now attempting to unify these principles. Chinese EMS systems are absent in most rural areas. Urban ambulance dispatch or 'rescue' centers provide both transport and inpatient care. Ambulances are staffed with either a physician or a driver. There is not extensive overlap between hospital emergency physicians and ambulance physicians and no out-of-hospital providers at the paramedic or emergency medical technician level exist. Access to EMS is accomplished by dialing 1-2-0. Emergency calls go directly to the rescue center and a physician is dispatched. No on-line radio communication between hospitals and ambulances typically takes place. China has assimilated both traditional and unique EMS components and is undergoing development. It remains unclear whether a systematized EMS structure will emerge.