According to the roadmap, by January 1, 2027, localities must complete a review and compile a list of out-of-hospital emergency care facilities and vehicles that meet the requirements for participation in the system. — Photo chinhphu.vn

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Health has issued a circular that regulates the receipt of information and the procedures for out-of-hospital emergency care, which took effect on November 1.

Under Circular 42/2026/TT-BYT, medical staff at emergency call centres must assess each patient's condition and dispatch an appropriate out-of-hospital emergency service unit.

Priority is given to units capable of reaching the scene quickly, while the dispatch team will work with the emergency medical crew to select a healthcare facility best suited to the patient's condition.

Upon receiving a dispatch order, the pre-hospital emergency team must arrive promptly to provide first aid, emergency care and other appropriate clinical interventions.

Based on the patient's condition, the emergency team will select a suitable healthcare facility and notify it to prepare for the patient's arrival. At the same time, they must keep the 113 emergency dispatch centre updated and request further assistance if the situation exceeds their capacity to manage.

The circular also requires out-of-hospital emergency care facilities to be able to receive calls 24/7 and to ensure the availability of personnel, vehicles, medicines, medical equipment and information systems for emergency services. Ambulances must be equipped with tracking devices and connected to the data systems of the provincial or municipal police command and information centres.

For healthcare facilities receiving patients, the circular stipulates that they must establish a unit to handle emergency-related information on a 24/7 basis, prepare the necessary personnel, hospital beds, medications, medical equipment and other essential resources, and manage the admission, handover and treatment of patients in accordance with regulations on medical examination and treatment.

The People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities are responsible for directing the circular's implementation and allocating the resources, means and equipment necessary for the out-of-hospital emergency medical service system.

According to the roadmap, by January 1, 2027, localities must complete a review and compile a list of out-of-hospital emergency care facilities and vehicles that meet the requirements for participation in the system. By July 1, 2027, they must finalise the list of medical personnel assigned to staff the 113 emergency dispatch centre, while also investing in and upgrading the necessary infrastructure, vehicles and equipment.

Local authorities must publicly disclose the list of out-of-hospital emergency care facilities within their jurisdiction on the provincial or municipal web portal.

They are also required to work with provincial or municipal police to determine staffing arrangements for emergency response teams, factoring in population size, the demand for emergency calls, the coordination of out-of-hospital emergency services and the existing emergency care network in the area.

Previously, under Decision 1515/QĐ-TTg issued by the Prime Minister on August 10, the master plan for developing the out-of-hospital emergency care system for the 2026–2030 period set a goal to launch a national-level management platform for out-of-hospital emergency services by 2027.

This platform is intended to be integrated with the unified emergency service system, encompassing hotlines 113, 114 and 115, which is being developed by the Ministry of Public Security.— VNS