History of Paramedics

The concept of paramedics has been around since the early days of Roman conquest, in which the older and less physically capable warriors were used intermittently to remove wounded soldiers. The concept of stretcher barers in Ambulance Paramedic’s more basic form has been documented as early as the 16th century in England.

However, the term Paramedic didn’t develop until the Vietnam war, in which Doctors had no desire to go out and provide intensive medical care to patients badly wounded in the battlefield. Consequently, medics (or para-medics -meaning part of a Doctor) were instructed in advanced medical skills such as intubation and cannulation and sent out into the field to do work that was ordinarily reserved for Doctors. Some studies in the US found that the inteventions of paramedics in Vietnam were making the survival rates of major trauma in Vietnam better than those on American Highways.  After the Vietnam war, the concept of “Paramedics” in civillian Ambulance Services were introduced, as since then, the role of paramedics have been taking greater and greater responsibilities as their training and skills continue to enhance.