EMS systems in China

The prehospital emergency service is the initial part of the Emergency Medical Service System (EMSS) in China, and is the de facto overall emergency medical service for China. As the EMSS in China continues to undergo rapid development, it faces the challenge of providing rapid response times with adequate coverage for this highly populated country. The recent Sichuan earthquake on 12 May 2008 tested the ability of the EMSS response. This article focuses on the prehospital emergency service of the EMSS and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the current system. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.