Before the end of June this year, China will practice a new method by which all information about traffic accidents will be shared among the country's current emergency services, namely the "110" for public security, "122" for traffic accidents and "120" for first-aid services. This should dramatically improve the coordination of information transmission, on-the-spot first-aid services and transportation of the wounded, officials with the ministries said.

The quick-response mechanism for traffic accidents will succeed when public security departments, first-aid centers and hospitals appointed by administrative departments of public health are able to co-ordinate and jointly launch prompt and effective operations as soon as they receive traffic accident calls.

The anticipated mechanism gives top priority to saving and treating the injured and outlines clear rules for punishment of those who delay the treatment.

The new mechanism also stresses education and disseminating emergency-first aid knowledge in the society, enhancing people's ability to give early treatment to the injured, and protecting the legal rights and interests of medical institutions, according to officials with the ministries.

China has had an increasing number of traffic accidents in recent years, but the current immature emergency-treatment system fails to offer prompt treatment to some injured people.

(People?s Daily March 7, 2002)