Emergency care system to be revamped

NST: The country’s emergency care system, particularly the ambulance services, will be revamped soon to make it more efficient.
Health Department director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said the existing fleet of ambulances would be expanded and a more stringent procedure introduced in selecting drivers.
"We will train them on pre-hospital care to enable them to attend to patients on-site before sending them to hospitals.
"We are also looking at many other things which can be done to improve our emergency care system," he said after opening a conference on infectious diseases yesterday.
Other measures include the setting up of motorcycle squads and call response centres nationwide.
The three-day conference, which ends tomorrow, was jointly organised by the local branch of the Malaysian Medical Association and the state Health Department.
Dr Ismail’s comments come in the wake of allegations by a factory engineer against the Kepala Batas Hospital’s ambulance service.
Ghafur Mohd Ibrahim, 37, filed a RM1 million suit against the hospital accusing it of gross negligence in the death of his wife, whom he claimed had died due to a delay in getting treatment because the hospital’s ambulances had run out of petrol.
Dr Ismail, who refused to be dragged into the controversy, described the incident as an isolated case.
After a visit to Penang Hospital later, Dr Ismail said the retirement age of doctors working at public hospitals would be raised to 58 soon.
He said the move is aimed at retaining the services of experienced doctors.