The National Ambulance Center will provide the people of the Kathmandu Valley with services that do not exist anywhere in Nepal: medical treatment before arriving at hospitals and a system for fast transport to hospitals. These resources will be available to everyone, including those who cannot pay for them.

The Ambulance Center will save countless lives and prevent injuries from becoming permanent disabilities, for many years into the future. Even if the program begins with only 5 ambulances, it will be able to treat and transport more than 60 people per day. This adds up to more than 20 000 people per year.

Once it is established, the Ambulance Center will grow steadily, and will eventually include enough ambulances to give medical care to all emergency patients in the Kathmandu Valley.

This is the first endeavor in Nepal to improve the quality of pre-hospital care. Furthermore, the EMT course will be Nepal’s first training course for ambulance staff, and the first comprehensive course in emergency medical treatment.

The Ambulance Center will serve as a model of a feasible, sustainable emergency medical system for cities and towns in Nepal. Ambulance workers from other locations can attend the EMT course in Kathmandu and then return to their own ambulance organizations to apply their new knowledge and skills. Furthermore, the Center will be an example for cities throughout the developing world of the formation of a coordinated medical response system.

The success of the Ambulance Center depends on receiving needed support and cooperation.