KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has a higher than average number of traffic-related deaths compared to other countries.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya said statistics show that Malaysia had a 23.6 to 100,000 population ratio of traffic-related deaths.
The world average is 18 per 100,000 population. Australia, in comparison, has a 4 to 100,000 ratio while the United Kingdom has a 14 per 100,000 ratio.
This, he said, meant that Malaysia needs to boost its number of emergency physicians within the next five years to combat the high rate of traffic-related incidents.
The government currently has 205 registered emergency physicians nationwide.
“We certainly need a more well-run, efficient and effective emergency medical and trauma services.
"With the country having such a high number of deaths caused especially by road traffic accidents, we certainly need a higher number of emergency physicians from the present 205," he said told reporters after launching the 4th International Clincial Conference on Emergency Medicine, today.
Echoing his sentiment, Malaysian Society of Traumatology and Emergency Medicine president Prof Datuk Seri Dr Abu Hassan Asaari Abdullah said the number of emergency physicians is expected to grow to approximately 600 in the next five years.