Emergency Medicine in Malaysia Through the Decades: Bridging Gaps and Breaking Barriers

Abstract

Emergency Medicine in Malaysia started, out of necessity to respond to patients with injuries from accidents as well as those in emergency. Since after the independence in 1957, despite being an important entity, it was not given much value and very much neglected in terms of resources and support. Nevertheless, starting in the late 1990s, serious effort had been put in place to make this medicine more organized, better structured and efforts were made improve the practice. The first local specialty programme was started in 1998 and there were six first specialist who graduated in 2002. From these efforts, the discipline had been approved as the 14th specialty in 2004 by the Ministry of Health. After 20 years, by July 2024, there are 740 Emergency Physicians produced in Malaysia. Currently 4 universities run the Master of Medicine (Emergency) as well as a parallel programme linked with the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) in the United Kingdom. College of Emergency Physicians had been established in 2011 and currently has 11 special interest groups. Emergency Physicians in Malaysia had transformed the practice of Emergency Medicine into a respected discipline with knowledge and skills that meets the global emergency medicine standard. The progress of this medicine in Malaysia was made possible with united effort by the fraternity to bridge all gaps. With united efforts, the fraternity broke existing barriers to move forwards. There are great challenges promised in the future, but with all joining hands to complement the needs of the medicine, the sky is the limit in achieving excellent emergency care for the society.