The numerous injuries resulting from the high number of road accidents in the Kingdom need to be studied and researched, said professor Gordon Smith, member of the US National Research Center for Injuries and Emergency services.

He said that new researches and studies are emerging from the road traffic accident cases which need to be treated appropriately and effectively.

Smith who is also head of emergency medical care and public health in Maryland University, was in Jazan to deliver a lecture on emergency medical care in road traffic accident cases.

The Jazan University is collaborating with Maryland University to start a research project on road accident cases, injuries and trauma.

Professor Mohammed Ali Rabiah of Jazan University and Smith held detailed discussions regarding the need for starting emergency medical care research studies in their meeting which was held recently at Jazan University.

Road traffic accidents are becoming a serious public hazard in the Kingdom. They are the leading cause of fatalities in the young and the second cause of death among all age groups.

Statistics place road traffic accidents at the top of the list accounting for 53 percent of fatalities followed by death by burning, drowning, falling and so on. An increasing need to limit the rate of morbidity and mortality due to traffic accidents has opened up the doors for research and studies by various organizations in the Kingdom.

Jazan University is aiming to reach an agreement with the top institutions of the world in the research of emergency medical care.

Saudi authorities, universities and health facilities are making efforts to facilitate a multidisciplinary system response to injured patients. The development and implementation of the trauma system is a method to improve survival rates and reduce complications after traumatic injury. The trauma system has been executed worldwide and has already proven to reduce the mortality rate by a staggering 25 percent. The initial phase of this project covered by the National Guard Health Affairs will encompass the entire city of Riyadh. The trauma system project includes the development of a trauma registry that provides valuable information about the patient demographics. These demographics include the prevalence and incidence of injuries, the pattern of care provided within the system and their outcomes.