Minutes Between Life and Death

This collective monograph presents the first systematic analysis of the development of the emergency medical service in the Czech lands in the period from its nationalisation in 1952 to its transformation into regional contributory organisations in 2003. The book aims to map the processes of institutionalisation, professionalisation and modernisation of pre-hospital emergency care through an analysis of official discourse and stakeholder reflection. The main focus is on the years 1952–2003, but this development is also set in the broader perspective of the 'longue durée' from the end of the 18th century, with an emphasis on the key milestones of the second half of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century (1952, 1974, 1992 and 2003). The thematic chapters of the monograph are devoted to the socio-professional identity of emergency response teams, technological and material changes, the transition lines between pre-hospital and hospital care, the ethical dilemmas associated with encountering death, and gender aspects and pop-cultural images. Special attention is paid to the memorial perspective of drivers, nurses and doctors, whose narratives serve as a source for understanding the transformation processes not only in emergency medicine but also in the broader functioning of the socialist and post-socialist healthcare system.