Legal Aspects of Emergency Services

Legal Aspects of Emergency Services

Introduction

The purpose of this study is to expand the boundaries of our knowledge by exploring some relevant information relating to Legal Aspects of Emergency Services. All bodies involved in any type of disaster or emergency (security and police forces, fire services, medical personnel, civil protection, etc.), should legalize their actions and protect themselves from prosecution for any criminal offense. The treatment of emergencies is a function of public or private hospitals. It concerns the reception of sick and wounded appearing spontaneously or brought by ambulance. The emergency structure work twenty-four hours, every day of the year. The service usually includes an administration for the financial support by the health insurance, consultation, emergency care and other services of the hospital, i.e. mobile service for interventions within the facility or outside the facility (vehicles and ambulances interventions) (Nicholson, 2003).

The emergency service in hospital is the area that has experienced rapid and profound changes in the second half of the twentieth century. The emergency departments, despite characteristics that clearly distinguish it from other levels of hospital services, must not escape assessment and quality control techniques. All professionals in the emergency services are involved to a greater or lesser degree in improving the quality of healthcare services (Mistovich, 2010). In this paper, we will focus on the legal aspects of emergency services in hospital.

The Scenario

A young man was hit by car and got seriously injured. The youngster was in a helpless position and in need of quick medical attention. An ambulance from a nearby hospital has reached the place of accident and shifted the boy to the hospital. As the boy was seriously injured, an emergency service was urgently required. Due to ineffective emergency call management system, the ambulance failed to reach the place on time. Due to lack of appropriate resources (medical staff, medical equipment), the officials were unable to provide timely services to the injured boy, which, in turn, resulted in the death of the injured youngster.

Discussion

The emergency medical system consists of emergency call centers, Emergency Medical Teams, Air Ambulance, and hospital emergency wards. The system was set up by the State for ensuring assistance to any person located in the state of emergency. Health hazard needs to be understood as a condition involving sudden or anticipated onset of symptoms worsening health, which may be a direct consequence of serious damage to bodily function, or injury or loss of life, requiring immediate emergency medical operations and treatment (Khouzam, 2007).

The basis of medical rescue is regulated and legalized by the State Emergency Medical Services. The system consists of two divisions. The first is government administration, competent to perform the tasks of the system. Their mission is to organize, plan, coordinate and control the implementation of the tasks of the system and part of the funding system units.

The second division is units of the system. The Law on State Emergency Medical Services requires the hospital to have hospital emergency departments and emergency medical services, ...