Dr Christian Doldán is Chairman of the Sociedad Paraguaya de Emergencias Médicas and in October 2019 held the first Paraguayan conference on emergency medicine.

Paraguay’s inaugural conference was a great success providing an opportunity to obtain greater links with other medical societies, institutions and companies.  Initially hoping to attract around 500 to 600 attendees, the event ended up attracting 978 physicians and other emergency care providers from Paraguay and around the world. A huge achievement being the first conference ever held in Paraguay.

What are the main emergency medicine challenges you face in Paraguay?
We have many challenges in Paraguay. Firstly to integrate the intra and extra hospital service, because we believe this is the way to form a better emergency care service. Currently all our training is aimed at professionals in both areas. We want to encourage state policies that will help to increase resources for our emergency services. We also seek the regional integration of our country to the new emergency medicine standards to enable us to consolidate our achievements.

What has been your greatest emergency medicine achievement?
I think that having a scientific society in emergency medicine working within the country is a great achievement. It has been a huge amount of work but we have a great team of young emergency doctors that aspire to make advancements in emergency medicine in Paraguay. In just a short period of time we have founded a society, organized the first Paraguayan conference in emergency medicine and strengthened international links. For just two years of work in the executive commission, I consider them to be great achievements.

What are you hoping to achieve over the next few years?
Increase the number of emergency medical specialists, to train as many of them as possible, and to strengthen the objectives we have already achieved. We are currently working on the third unit of training for residents in emergency medicine, which will be completed in March next year.

Why did you become an emergency medicine physician?
For the patients, for the type of work and the variety of acute pathology.

What is the best thing about being an emergency medicine physician?
Because we are the first response, and we are very important for the future prognosis of the patient.