SLOVAKIA | Emergency | Cultural issues

Different roles and responsibilities of staff working in emergency medical care

The emergency service medical team in an ambulance is responsible for providing urgent medical care aimed at sustaining vital body functions of a patient (consciousness, breathing, blood circulation and stanch extensive bleeding), i.e. stabilizing the patient before he/she is brought to a hospital. The medical team in the ambulance has competencies according to their educational attainments, i.e. from basic treatments, sustaining vital body functions, resuscitation (in particular teams without a doctor) to the administration of a wide variety of medicaments (in particular teams with a doctor).

Cultural or religious issues

There are not any specific cultural or religious issues that would influence the practice of providing emergency medical service. If a treated person has no legal capacity, e.g. children, prisoners, or an adult who was deprived of legal acts (mental disability), the presence of a counsellor is required. Emergency medical service would accept requirements of a patient in case he/she is conscious.

Form of Address

In Slovakia, doctors address their patients formally, e.g. "Mr/Mrs" + family name, and usually behave stiffly.

For more information on general medical cultural standards, click here.