Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) roles and functions in Pakistan

By Cristiano Antonino On Feb 4, 2021

Pakistan, roles and functions of Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Previously, the establishment of Emergency medical services and pre-hospital care in Pakistan was not very advanced.

For many years, it comprised of an ambulance network that was mainly used as a source of patient transportation from the site of the accident to hospital, without any availability of trained medical personals and paramedics.

In 2004, an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) was established in Pakistan

Since 2004, with the commencement of rescue 1122 there has been a huge revolution in the emergency care services offered to people in Pakistan (1).

In order to provide these services, specialized academy known as Emergency Services Academy has been established under section 14 of the Punjab Emergency Service Act 2006.

The emergency medical academy aims to train staff both at the national and provincial levels to produce quality Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) in Pakistan.

Currently, it comprises of a six months Basic Rescue Course which includes emergency medical care as well as rescue, fire, and physical fitness training.

Other than this, specialized courses like Medical First Responder, training for Instructors and several short and refresher courses are also conducted for the career development of the staff (1).

Ambulance rescue, selection criteria for EMT personnel in Pakistan

Candidates are selected annually according to the merit after successfully clearing the test for EMT (BPS-11) post based on their knowledge about basic first aid, anatomy, physiology, diagnostic tests, preventive medicines, infection control and management of wounds and fractures (2).

Physical assessment and screening is conducted before giving admission to the EMT in Pakistan. Selected Emergency Medical staff is given training regarding rapid response, rescue, CPR and emergency medical treatment to the victims.

They are also given special physical training to enhance physical fitness.

Eventually, the rescuers are sent to the teaching hospitals for hands-on training to manage emergency patients and gain better understanding about the protocols for the smooth shifting of the patients from the site of accident to hospital (1).

The EMT in Pakistan works closely with other colleagues in the ambulance service such as paramedics, emergency call handlers, medical dispatchers, emergency care assistants, doctors, and nurses (3).

They are responsible for providing basic life support to patients in the ambulance, driving the ambulance and providing a supportive role to paramedics.

They are also trained to use oxygen, asthma inhalers, and epinephrine auto-injectors to support breathing of the patients.

Moreover, they can provide basic level of rescue and safety to the victims of accidents as well as assist in emergency preparedness response, disaster handling, personal protection, and first aid assistance (3).

The EMT in Pakistan having a BS-11 grade scale can earn up to 12,570 PKR to 38,970 PKR along with incentives such as monthly rent of house, yearly bonus amounts and paid leaves.

The Emergency Medical Technicians have increasingly become a crucial part of emergency and pre-hospital care in Pakistan because of their life-saving services (4).

Therefore, initiatives to train and educate them should spread throughout the Pakistan to overall increase the chances of survival of patients via effective management protocol practiced by EMT in Pakistan.

Article written for Emergency Live by Dr Rabia Anees

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