Low-Cost Open-Source Solution to Optimize Emergency Medical Services in Developing Communities by Tracking, Dispatching, and Simulating

Cloud-based technology can optimize logistical operations of emergency medical services (EMS) for health-care providers in developing communities. However, existing products are financially inaccessible for health-care organizations with limited resources. This paper describes our joint efforts with the Red Cross of Tijuana (RCT), the primary medical aid provider in Tijuana, Mexico, to improve the management and delivery of their emergency services. The RCT is primarily funded by donations and operates less than 20 ambulances to support around 2 million people. This paper presents an open-source, cloud-based solution to conduct ambulance tracking, dispatching, and regional simulation. This work was developed as a collaboration between the RCT and the Global TIES program from the University of California San Diego. Goals for the project include ease of adoption and low maintenance costs to lower the barrier of entry for under-resourced healthcare organizations. Our project enables dispatchers to monitor and dispatch ambulances in real time. Time-sensitive data such as location are transmitted instantaneously and saved for future analysis. We aim to expand the usage of these tools to a worldwide scale and improve access to healthcare for millions of people in the developing world.