Pre-hospital care is essential in the preliminary management and diagnosis of acute life-threatening conditions. Patients can be given IV fluids, oxygen, or even be manually ventilated as necessary. In urban areas, ambulances are equipped with the necessary equipment to prevent the deterioration of the patient. Even simple things such as an ECG or monitoring the patient's vital signs can give clues towards the patients diagnosis and needs even before reaching the hospital.
As seen in the documentary, however, not all areas can afford this luxury. In far-flung areas, it can take hours to reach the town proper on foot. Not everyone has cellphones which can be used to call for emergency, and even if they did, there are no roads for ambulances or cars to pass through. In the documentary, we see that the community in the mountains did not even have electricity, and they needed to carry their sick by foot down to the village. In certain conditions, such as an MI or stroke, any patient would surely be dead or at least suffer major neurological damage before even being treated at a hospital.
Pre-hospital care has certainly improved patient outcomes, and is a vital component of the healthcare system. However, it begs a few important questions -- how do we get more people to benefit from this? How do we make this accessible to those in underserved areas? And lastly, how can other institutions help in building the necessary infrastructure and putting systems in place for more people to benefit from our advancements in healthcare technology?