Consultative workshop held to finalize National Ambulance Guideline 2021

Dhulikhel, Bagmati Province – The Ministry of Health and Population and WHO Country Office for Nepal held a consultative workshop on 9-10 January to finalize the first revision of the National Ambulance Guideline, 2021. Thirty key stakeholders, including public health officials, emergency service providers, security forces and civil society representatives, reached a consensus on the updates to the guideline, which will be submitted for MoHP endorsement. The revised framework incorporates feedback from national and provincial stakeholders and includes enhanced emergency response measures, such as the introduction of electric ambulances. Aligned with WHO’s Emergency Care Systems Framework, the guideline aims to establish a centrally coordinated ambulance system. WHO will now support the promotion of 24/7 ambulance services through the toll-free number "102," advocate for the strengthening of dispatch centers and facilitate the mobilization of certified prehospital care providers to establish a robust emergency response system aimed at reducing preventable deaths. The workshop was supported by USAID’s Global Health Security.