"This new project aims to reduce the number of such deaths by 20 per cent," Public Health Minister Pinij Charusombat said yesterday.

He said the launch of the project this year was also intended to celebrate His Majesty the King's 60th year on the throne.

"It will get a budget of Bt1.4 billion a year," Pinij said.

He added that emergency medicine was very important because it was so often the difference between life and death.

In the case of patients who survive, it is also often the factor determining whether they will have to live with a disability.

Inefficient treatment or lack of proper equipment can lead to death and disability, the minister said.

Pinij said there were 12 million emergency cases each year, of which 3.6 million are critical. Most of the critical patients rushed to hospital are victims of road accidents. Many others are heart or diabetes patients.

Under the project, every hospital must have at least another two fully equipped ambulances.

The project will also cover infrastructure and IT systems.

Duangkamon Sathirawattanakul

The Nation