History of the State Medical Rescue Service in Poland

The State Medical Rescue Service in Poland dates back to 1891, when the first ambulance service was established in Cracow. Over 129 years, the system has been fully transformed, starting with medical staff, through numbers, equipment, and modern information and communication systems for emergency calls and assistance during interventions, and medical records. Emergency medical services in Poland had their breakthrough when the current Act of 8 September 2006 on the National Medical Rescue Service was introduced, which is the foundation for the modern organisation of medical rescue and emergency medicine in Poland. According to the Ministry of Health, the total number of Emergency Medical Services Teams operating in 2019 was 1585, including those operating on a seasonal basis.