"Pre-Hospital Care" To Handle Emergency Calls

KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry is developing a pre-hospital care service to handle emergency calls and provide treatment to patients before their arrival at hospitals, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latif Ahmad.
He said the purpose of the service, to be implemented under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP), among others, were to screen for genuine emergency calls and to advice clients.
"Pre-hospital care will be equipped with a sophisticated communication system and the operator will be someone with medical knowledge," he told reporters after opening a seminar on major incident management here Monday.
He said the service would also be introduced to overcome congestion at the emergency unit in hospitals since all diseases are referred to the unit.
Commenting on the seminar, Abdul Latif said it was the first to be held and in line with efforts by the government to improve its delivery system.
Participants at the two-day seminar included from the Fire and Rescue Department, the National Security Division, Red Crescent Society, Civil Defence Department (JPA3) and the Health Ministry's Disease Control Division.
He said workers manning the emergency units should have high skills and be able to perform their task efficiently as it involved a round-the-clock service.
"We need to have a standard procedure for all departments which offer emergency service in line with the government's aspiration to improve on its delivery system," he added.