Fast relaying of info can help to save lives, says Health Minister

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: Getting the vital medical statistics of a patient in an ambulance to a hospital even before the vehicle gets there is the latest digital project to be considered by the Health Ministry.
This will be the main target of the ministry’s plan to change its emergency communication system from analog to digital mode.
Its minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said that if implemented, medical assistants in the ambulances would be able to obtain help from emergency rooms to treat the patient during the journey to the hospital.
“If this digital system is implemented, it will not only make communication between those in the ambulance and control centre easier, personnel could also monitor the movement of the ambulances under their care through a computerised system,” he said in his speech when opening the RC Bazaar 2008 organised by the Malaysian Red Crescent Society yesterday.
He added that patient information such as blood pressure reading, pulse, breathing rate and ECG could be transmitted to the control centres.
Speaking to reporters later, Liow said the project was still being studied and, if approved, would be implemented in stages.
“I hope it can be done because all this is important to save lives,” he said.
Liow also said that 400 ambulances were needed in the future to serve Malaysians efficiently. An initial 100 units worth about RM300mil has been ordered and another 100 will be bought soon.
The locally-manufactured ambulances will be sent to areas which need them the most.
Liow said the setting up of call coordination centres under the ministry had resulted in ambulances reaching the emergency sites within 30 minutes.
The centres are part of the ministry’s initiative when the 999 Emergency Call Service Centre was set up by the Government last year.
There are 25 hospitals which are involved, with another located at the ministry in Putrajaya.
Staff members at the centres would give advice to the caller on what should be done while waiting for the ambulance to arrive, he said.
Liow said coordination between government agencies which handled emergency situations needed to be streamlined so that the rescue process could be expedited.

Note: PETALING JAYA: In the report “Liow wants to go digital” which appeared in The Star on Friday, it has been pointed out that the correct cost of 100 units of ambulances should have been RM30mil and not the amount stated.
The error is regretted.