In 2024, a wind of change blew hard at a service in Uruguay’s pre-hospital emergency system. The story began in Montevideo and Ciudad de la Costa, where Emergencia Uno, a team committed to the health of Uruguayans, decided to face one of medicine’s biggest challenges – stroke.
This is how the Technical Directorate of Emergencia Uno, through the nursing assistant July Falero, learned of the Angels initiative. With the collaboration of this international initiative, and with the strength provided by the head of quality, Fabiana Ruibal, and the Chief Medical Officer, Ximena Gadea, began a process of continuous improvement that sought to change the lives of patients, reduce sequelae and, most importantly, increase the chances of survival.
The road wasn’t easy, but the goal was clear. Emergencia Uno had a dream: that no patient in the country would be left without the possibility of receiving quality medical care at the most critical times. The key was in early diagnosis and immediate treatment, so a rapid intervention protocol was implemented, as a kind of lifesaving roadmap.
The model adopted was simple but powerful, a strategy of gradual expansion that resembled an “oil slick”. We started in the closest areas, and little by little, quality care spread, covering more and more territories, reaching all points of influence. The collaboration with Angels allowed the Emergencia Uno team to access international best practices and protocols, perfecting every step, every technique, every detail.
So we started working on the new challenge – for Emergency One to have a care network that not only encompassed urban areas, but also reached the farthest reaches of the country, where access to medical resources was limited. Every new ambulance equipped with advanced technology, every new trained staff, would be a promise fulfilled to make the country’s health system stronger, more effective.
Along the way, the recognitions arrived. In 2024, Emergencia Uno was awarded the prestigious EMS Angels Diamond award, a sign that the effort and dedication to stroke treatment did not go unnoticed. This award not only celebrated the success of the intervention, but also the strength of teamwork, discipline and passion to improve the lives of those who needed it most.
But while the achievement was great, the work was not finished. By 2025, Emergencia Uno had a new goal – to expand its borders further. The “oil slick” had to grow and cover the whole country. It was not enough to reach the big cities; now we had to make sure that people in the remotest areas also had access to the same high-quality and rapid care.
As the plan progresses, technology also plays a crucial role. Telemedicine tools will begin to become an integral part of the system. Ambulances will have devices that allow doctors to make diagnoses in real time, and consultations can take place remotely with hospitals.
The heart of this expansion, however, is not technology but community awareness. People need to know the symptoms of stroke, know what to do in the event of a stroke, and understand that prompt intervention can make the difference between life and death. Educational campaigns must be multiplied, bringing hope and knowledge to thousands of families.
Throughout the country, people will become aware of the importance of acting fast, wasting no time, and trusting that the emergency system has begun to evolve to save lives. In every corner, in every neighborhood, in every corner of Uruguay, you will begin to feel the imprint of a more robust, more connected, more prepared health system.
Emergencia Uno’s dream will be fulfilled, because it’s not just about saving lives, it’s about giving patients the opportunity to live a full life, without the devastating aftermath of a stroke not treated on time. With every success story, of patients returning home to get on with their lives, the Emergencia Uno team knows they’re building something much bigger than a simple health care network.
It's a legacy, a promise that in every emergency in our network, at every critical hour, there’s an army of professionals who are ready to respond, prepared to deal with whatever comes their way. Much remains to be done, but we are certain that the future of pre-hospital care for stroke in Uruguay will no longer be the same. Because every life saved is one more step towards a country where a stroke will not be a sentence, but an opportunity to move on.
