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communication
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Prehospital care in Malaysia: issues and challenges

05 December 2011
Features
02 December 2011
Volume 1 · Issue 2

Abstract

Prehospital care is defined as the phase of patient care from the point of injury or illness to the place of definitive treatment. As such, it is imperative that the patient is transported to the right place of care within the right time frame via the right mode of transportation by the right personnel. In this article, the authors explore seven components that are essential in the initial stage of any prehospital care system development—the components of manpower, training, communication, transportation, facilities, access to care and coordinated patient record keeping. The authors then address issues and challenges in these seven components within the Malaysian context. Because of geopolitical and logistic differences from one locality with another, it is not possible for a, ‘one-size-fit-all’ solution to these issues and challenges within Malaysia. Ultimately, any effort to develop the prehospital care system should not be a mere stop gap measure, rather, it should address fundamental root problems in order to ensure sustainability and continuity of effort.

Defined as the phase of care necessary to get a patient from the point of injury or illness to the place of definitive treatment, prehospital care is becoming increasingly important in many parts of the world including Malaysia (Sikka and Margolis, 2005). As the economy progresses, health networks improves and people tend to live longer. Rapid urbanization occurs, with increasing numbers of people shifting out to larger cities.

Malaysia covers an area of approximately 330 803 km2, consisting of Peninsular Malaysia and the states of Sabah and Sarawak, and Federal Territory Labuan in the northwestern coastal area of Borneo Island (Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2011c). Kuala Lumpur has a population density of 7089/km2; whereas interior places of the state of Sarawak, such as Belaga and Kapit, have a population density of merely 2 and 4/km2 (Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2011b).

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Emergency medical services
Malaysia
Prehospital care