Overview of the Historical Development Process of Modern Prehospital Emergency Health Services in Turkiye and the World

Abstract

When examining the prehospital emergency health services (PHEMS) practices in the world, Anglo-Saxon and French-German schools of thought are encountered. The superiorities, drawbacks and methodological differences of these practices are frequently compared with thorough studies. While evaluating the practices in Turkey, such research should be followed closely and appropriate reorganizations should be made for local conditions. To make qualified evaluations, the historical development process of the mentioned models should be understood and the observations, findings and solutions in the process should be analyzed thoroughly. Modern practices began in the post-World War II period and showed a robust development until the 1990s. For PHEMS, the rapid development in the 1950s and 1960s, followed by regulations in the 1970s, laid the foundation for today's practices, and its scope and quality were increased with subsequent developments. In Turkey, although implementations began in the 1950s, the first modern applications started in the mid-1980s and the foundation of current practice was laid in the 1990s. The reasons for this delay in progress in Turkiye must be examined in detail, to investigate the effectiveness of existing practices and to adapt them to Turkiye’s conditions.