First - Aid Policies in Some Countries

1. In Russia:

   Free emergency medical care: The Russian Constitution stipulates that the state provides free medical services to citizens, and all citizens have the right to receive free emergency medical care. Patients can call the emergency number at any time to request medical help.

   - **Construction of the emergency system**: Moscow has 60 first aid substations and 107 first aid points, with more than 2,000 doctors and more than 8,000 nurses working there. The average time for the rescue team to arrive at the scene from the time of receiving the report is about 14 minutes.

2. In France:

   Reform of the first aid work: A law proposal to reform the first aid work was passed, which includes a series of measures beneficial to firefighters, such as providing financial benefits to firefighters and severely punishing violent acts against them. And there was a plan to test a unified emergency phone number to replace the original three numbers 15, 17, and 18.

   Emergency call one-stop platform: Since 2022, a unified platform integrating the three emergency rescue numbers 15 (emergency), 17 (alarm), and 18 (firefighters) has been put into trial operation, aiming to better handle the needs of callers and send rescuers to the scene as soon as possible.

3. In Germany:

   Reform of emergency medical care: The health minister plans to reform the current emergency medical care in Germany. The 112 emergency number will be networked with the appointment number 116117 for outpatient doctors. The staff of the emergency service control center can determine whether the caller should go to the hospital emergency department or be transferred directly to the outpatient department for treatment at the first time of receiving an emergency call. And a "National United Emergency Center" jointly operated by clinics and the statutory medical insurance physicians' association will be established.

4. In Australia:

   First aid qualification requirements for certain industries**: By law, people in many industries, such as police, teachers, medical staff, social workers, railway station staff, train and bus attendants, construction workers, and some service workers, must obtain a first aid qualification certificate before employment.

   Requirements for companies' first aid capabilities**: If a company has more than 25 employees, at least one employee in the company must have received formal first aid training and have a valid first aid certificate. And the company must be equipped with at least one first aid kit.

5. In the United States:

   Ambulance service reimbursement issues**: There are issues such as the lack of federal funds and medical insurance reimbursement for ambulance services. In some cases, if an ambulance provider responds to a 911 call but the patient is not taken to the hospital, they may not be reimbursed by Medicare and Medicaid.

   Adjustment of first responders' salaries: For example, in New York City, there was an agreement to increase the salaries of emergency medical service personnel.