Emergency medical services in India: the present and future

India is the second most populous country in the world. Currently, India does not have a centralized body which provides guidelines for training and operation of Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Emergency Medical Services are fragmented and not accessible throughout the country. Most people do not know the number to call in case of an emergency; services such as Dial 108/102/1298 Ambulances, Centralized Accident and Trauma Service (CATS), and private ambulance models exist with wide variability in their dispatch and transport capabilities. Variability also exists in EMS education standards with the recent establishment of courses like Emergency Medical Technician-Basic/Advanced, Paramedic, Prehospital Trauma Technician, Diploma Trauma Technician, and Postgraduate Diploma in EMS. This report highlights recommendations that have been put forth to help optimize the Indian prehospital emergency care system, including regionalization of EMS, better training opportunities, budgetary provisions, and improving awareness among the general community. The importance of public and private partnerships in implementing an organized prehospital care system in India discussed in the report may be a reasonable solution for improved EMS in other developing countries.