Pre-hospital care is essential in improving outcomes and reducing morbidity and mortality among patients not only with acute life-threatening conditions but also those with chronic treatable illnesses with no access to health care. With pre-hospital care, immediate interventions in life-threatening conditions can be provided. However, in the Philippines, immediate access to health care is a pressing problem particularly for people living in geographically isolated and disadvantage areas. For them, going to the hospital is geographically and financially exhausting, as it would entail not only time and effort but also financial resources for transportation or loss of the day’s income. Commonly, for this population, time-sensitive injuries are not addressed immediately and may cause death.
Hence, an improved and strengthened pre-hospital care can provide timely recognition and management of emergency injuries, including mass emergency events or disasters, which can reduce morbidity and increase survival. Moreover, complications and acute exacerbations of current illness may be prevented. However, it should be noted that achievement of an effective pre-hospital care for all requires the involvement and support of different sectors of the community.