Background: Many low-to middle-income countries (LMICs) do not recognise emergency medicine as a specialty, nor consider the provision of prehospital emergency care a distinct component of national healthcare. Many LMICs struggle to meet the demand for emergency health responses within already resource-limited health services and may lack the experience, support and funding essential for integrating prehospital emergency care into broader national frameworks. Poor delivery, or a complete absence of prehospital emergency care, can lead to unnecessary deaths, disrupt continuity of care, reduce public trust in government health services, and may increase reliance on other already overstretched emergency responders. Aims: This article presents the results of a study on options to modernise Mongolian prehospital emergency care capabilities, moving away from previous Soviet-era practices. Methods: Data-collection methodologies included detailed observational studies, key informant interviews, participant observational studies (ride-alongs in emergency vehicles during actual emergency responses), clinical skills, training reviews and surveys aimed at comprehending the fundamental skill gaps gauged against current international standards for prehospital emergency care. Findings: Training protocols and programmes implemented within leading agencies responsible for delivering prehospital emergency care in Mongolia were inconsistent and incomplete. Variability existed in the comprehension of modernisation options for prehospital emergency care within the Mongolian healthcare system and in associated emergency-management response settings. There were gaps in legislative and governance structures that enable effective decisions supporting the modernisation of prehospital emergency care. Conclusion: Early findings identify the current gaps and future needs in modernising prehospital emergency care in Mongolia.
McConnell et al. (Sat,) studied this question.