Medical experts have urged China to set up a modern system of emergency medical service (EMS) to cope with disasters more efficiently.

The system should operate under unified instructions from designated government departments with integrated work by hospitals, police, the fire department, and members of the public who have been taught rescue skills, according to experts at a forum on modern disaster and emergency medicine here Monday.

Li Zonghao, chairman of the China Association of Emergency and Disaster Medicine, said the world is confronted with severe disasters, such as rampant terrorist activities, newly emerging infectious diseases and frequent earthquakes.

"Although we can not prevent these disasters, we can minimize damage through a highly efficient disaster emergency service," he said.

But he admitted that China faces many disasters, which are always complicated and destructive, due to the lack of rescue professionals and services.

In many regions of China, EMS is provided in hospitals without effective cooperation of fire and police departments, which caused the loss of many precious opportunities of pre-hospital medical care, he said.

Compared with some developed countries, China needs to train more EMS professionals, said Wang Faqiang, chief of the General Hospital of the Chinese People's Armed Police Forces.

Li, also a member of the World Association for Emergency and Disaster Medicine, researched the first-aid system used by the United States.

He said China's modern EMS should get much more support from the government and society. "Fortunately, the government realized the importance after the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) crisis and got down to the work," he said.

The seismological bureau, civil aviation department and ocean transport department in China have already set up their own rescue teams. Big Chinese cities like Shanghai and Beijing are also preparing to launch EMS service.

(Xinhua News Agency October 28, 2003)