Background: Emergency medical services (EMS) are intended to provide people with immediate, effective, and safe access to the healthcare system. The effects of pandemics on emergency medical services (EMS) have not been studied sufficiently. The aim of this paper is to assess the frequency and structure of calls at an ambulance station in Kazakhstan during the period of 2019–2023. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted to estimate the incidence of emergency assistance cases from 2019 to 2023. Results: An analysis of the structure and number of ambulance calls before the pandemic, during the pandemic, and post-pandemic period did not reveal significant changes, except for calls in urgency category IV. Patients of urgency category IV handled by an ambulance decreased by 2 and 1.7 times in 2020 and 2021, respectively, which appears to be related to quarantine measures. In 2022 and 2023, category IV calls were 4.7 and 4.5 times higher than in 2019. Conclusions: This study’s findings suggest no changes in the dynamics of ambulance calls, except urgency category IV calls. The number of category IV urgent calls decreased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic and increased in the post-pandemic period.

Objective: Consultation is an important and necessary aspect of patient care in the emergency department. We prospectively examined difficulties during the consultation process between paramedics and providers in emergency departments in Kazakhstan. Methods: The paramedics were interviewed using various platforms and face-to-face meetings. Questionnaires were administered to paramedics to gather feedback on the current consultation process. In our survey, 202 paramedics of ambulance from the cities of Semey, Pavlodar, and Ust-Kamenogorsk, located in the North and East of Kazakhstan took part. Results: Serious barriers to effective consultation were identified during consultations with cardiologists, pediatricians, and traumatologists. Weekends, as well as nighttime, are associated with more consultation difficulties. The most common problems for paramedics are non-attendance of the consultant, refusal of hospitalization by the consultant, and referral to other specialists and departments. More than 40% of the respondents noted the desire to share responsibility for the patient with medical consultants, which indicates uncertainty in their own knowledge due to the limited work experience of the majority of respondents. Conclusion: Barriers that arise during the consultation process of patients with emergency conditions can lead to unfavorable outcomes. Strategies to address these barriers are needed to improve the quality of patient care. This review aims to understand and evaluate the issues that arise during the consultation process.

Medical sorting is aimed at assessment of disease severity and has to be carried out within a short time to determine the priorities for patient care and transportation to the most appropriate place for future treatment. The goal of this study was to provide an integrative review by analyzing the publications on the most common triage systems worldwide in order to select and implement the most reliable system at emergency departments. We searched for publications relevant to our comparative analysis in evidence-based medicine databases. A total of 1,740 literary sources were identified, of which 42 were selected for analysis. Comparative analysis of different triage systems may help implementing the most efficient system in Kazakhstan. The Emergency Severity Index is considered the most reliable and accurate tool used in international practice, and it could provide a basis for introduction of triage system at emergency departments in Kazakhstan.

Response to Letter in regards to First Aid Training for Non-Medical Professionals: The Need for Comprehensive Assessments [Letter]

Objectives.The ambulance service is a crucial component of any healthcare system, providing life-saving care to those in need. The problem of staffing the ambulance service today is of the most acute importance. The state of the ambulance service is now seen as a factor of national security. To study the organization of emergency medical care, a comprehensive characterization of the quality of the personnel potential of an institution and the conditions for its development is of great importance. The aim of this study is to analyze the staffing of emergency medical care in Kazakhstan. Materials and methods. An analysis of the personnel of the ambulance service of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2018-2021 was carried out. Results. An increase in the number of paramedic teams and decrease in the number of doctor's teams was shown. The percentage of categorization for doctors increased to 68.7%, for nurses to 46.2% in 2021. The coefficient of part-time work in all years remained equal to 1.1. The percentage of staffing for 2018-2021 decreased in all categories in 2021. Соnclusion.The Republic of Kazakhstan's ambulance service is still developing in terms of both staffing and organizational structure. Despite a large growth in recent years in the number of ambulance stations, there is still a lack of trained medical people to staff them. One of the measures taken by the government to solve this issue is the expansion of training programs and simulation centers. Введение. Службы неотложной помощи являются важным компонентом любой системы здравоохранения, оказывая жизненно важную помощь тем, кто в ней нуждается. Вопрос кадрового обеспечения службы скорой медицинской помощи является наиболее актуальным на сегодняшний день. Качественное оказание неотложной помощи в настоящее время считается важнейшим фактором национальной безопасности. Для изучения организации скорой медицинской помощи большое значение имеет комплексная характеристика качества кадрового потенциала и условий его развития. Целью данного исследования является анализ кадрового состава скорой медицинской помощи в Казахстане. Материалы и методы. Проведен анализ кадрового состава службы скорой медицинской помощи Республики Казахстан за 2018-2021 годы. Результаты показали увеличение количества фельдшерских бригад и уменьшение количества врачебных бригад. В 2021 году процент категоризации для врачей увеличился до 68,7%, для медсестер до 46,2%. Коэффициент совместительства был равен 1,1 во все годы. Процент укомплектованности кадрами в 2018-2021 годы снизился в 2021 году по всем категориям. Заключение. Численность и структура службы скорой медицинской помощи в Республике Казахстан пока находятся на начальной стадии развития. Хотя количество станций скорой помощи значительно увеличилось за последние годы, по-прежнему ощущается нехватка квалифицированного медицинского персонала для их обеспечения. Правительство усиливает ряд мер, направленных на решение этой проблемы, включая организацию симуляционных центров и программ подготовки кадров. Kіріспе. Жедел жәрдем қызметі кез-келген денсаулық сақтау жүйесінің маңызды құрамдас бөлігі болып табылады, ол мұқтаж адамдардың өмірін сақтап қалады. Жедел жәрдем қызметін кадрлармен қамтамасыз ету мәселесі бүгінгі таңда ең өзекті болып отыр. Жедел жәрдем қызметінің жағдайы қазіргі уақытта ұлттық қауіпсіздік факторы ретінде қарастырылуда. Жедел медициналық көмекті ұйымдастыруды зерттеу үшін мекеменің кадрлық әлеуетінің сапасын және оны дамыту жағдайларын жан-жақты сипаттаудың үлкен маңызы бар. Зерттеудің мақсаты – Қазақстандағы жедел медициналық көмектің кадрлық құрамын талдау. Материалдар мен әдістер. Қазақстан Республикасы жедел жәрдем қызметінің 2018-2021 жылдарға арналған жеке құрамына талдау жүргізілді. Нәтижелер: Фельдшерлік бригадалар санының көбеюі және дәрігерлік бригадалар санының азаюы анықталды. 2021 жылы категориясы бар дәрігерлердің пайызы 68,7%-ға, медбикелер үшін...