'Make way for real emergencies'

PETALING JAYA: Malaysians are treating the emergency room of government hospitals as a cheap one-stop centre for minor ailments, resulting in congestion and patients with serious injuries or illnesses having to vie for medical attention.

Of over 2.3 million patients seeking treatment at ERs – also known as emergency and trauma departments – in the first six months of last year, more than 70% or 1.6 million cases were non-critical.