Emergency – An Emerging Speciality in the Indian Healthcare System

Why should a resident choose Emergency as a speciality

Emergency care is the foremost care that a patient is given, as soon as he steps into a hospital.

The course of treatment administered depends on the quality of emergency care that the patient receives, apart from his diagnosis.

With a population as dense as India’s, the sheer number of emergencies occurring every day is enormous. There is a complete deficit of emergency caregivers. Over a million lives are lost each year because the demand of services is higher than the supply. This is where the new age doctors must step in.

Until very recently, interns or junior doctors with very little specific training were the ones handling emergencies, which sometimes led to acute crises due to their inexperience.

Being trained in handling emergencies can help prevent and minimise many complications.

It also cuts down the length and the cost of treatment, which is a critical factor for people who are not from a high income background.

Emergency medicine can make huge contributions towards the healthcare of an entire community or region. It is a new speciality which gives Emergency Medical Technicians/Paramedics, Nurses in Emergency Medicine, Physicians in Emergency Medicine and more, the opportunity to work and contribute towards medical service and society.

Specialization, in general, has emerged as a dominant value in the medical profession, more so in emergency medicine. It has modified patterns of service delivery as well, benefitting all stratas of society.

Here’s what makes Emergency Medicine the star of specialization:

• Continuous conceptual and technological innovation
• Intra-professional competition
• Distinct identity for emergency medicine that encourages cohesiveness and facilitates the entry of younger doctors
• Political priority with Indian regulators, specifically the Medical Council of India

Some other factors that facilitate the growth of Emergency Medicine include an increase in employment opportunities for Indian medical graduates to work in emergency departments of high-income countries.

Today, India boasts of having an Emergency Medicine System that has expanded exponentially. It has become an integral part of our healthcare system, thus making it a highly sought after speciality.