Malaysia needs more emergency physicians, says Dr Hilmi

"We have come a long way from the time the services started in 1998, from only three emergency physicians to 208 specialists now in emergency care serving the people in many parts of our country.

"But the number is still insufficient," he said when opening the fourth International Clinical Conference on Emergency Medicine 2015 here today.

"Forced by many formidable challenges, we certainly need well-run and efficient as well as effective emergency medical and trauma services."

Hilmi said that medical emergencies such as heart attacks and strokes happened with increasing regularity, resulting in greater use of the emergency department.

"I have been informed that Malaysia, based on the data from the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research, has a high road traffic accident death to population ratio at 23.6 per 100,000 population compared with the world average of 18 in 100,000.

"Last year, 6,917 Malaysians died in road accidents, which work out to 19 deaths every day," he said.

Malaysian Society of Traumatology and Emergency Medicine president Datuk Seri Dr Abu Hassan Asaari said that for the next five years, the country would need 500 to 600 specialists not only for specialist hospitals but also state and district hospitals.

"We need at least three specialists in every hospital now, but most of the hospitals in Malaysia have only one emergency physician, and he or she can't be there 24 hours," he said.

The three-day conference, organised by the Malaysian Society for Traumatology and Emergency Medicine, is attended by 386 medical personnel, medical students and rescuers from various agencies around the country.