The project is set to cover all possible accidents and to be a benchmark for other countries in Europe. Technical assistance and funding from the EU has made the project possible.
The management of the databank is going to be in the hands of the Health Information Unit, which will be responsible for the gathering of all possible information. It is understood that data will be gathered slowly at first, although it has already begun in Gozo, and is set to cover the whole country by the beginning of 2008.
Health Division director-general Ray Busuttil explained: “We have to start slowly and expand, and between now and the end of 2007, we can fine-tune our methods.”
All health centres, private practices, and hospitals will be involved in the scheme.
The aim of the project is to basically establish how and when people get hurt and also possibly what substance or product hurt them to try and have better injury prevention in the future.
Health Minister Louis Deguara said that Malta was joining with most EU countries in keeping such records. “We must understand that although there
are common problems in EU states, there are different solutions for different
countries,” he said.
He said that Malta needed to identify where, when and how accidents were happening. “We can then work with the Occupational Health and Safety Authority to prevent such from happening again,” he said.
Giving some local statistics, Dr Deguara said that in 2002, 4,936 people were hurt while at work. In 2003, 12 people died at work and between 1993 and 2000, 61 people had died. “These figures are in the higher bands of EU figures. And we must bear in mind that accidents cause a financial loss of Lm24 million,” he said. He also said the amount of deaths caused by traffic accidents was alarming. In 2002, 1,312 were hurt and 17 died in traffic accidents.
Principal Administrator of the EU’s DGSANCO, Horst Kloppenburg also addressed the press conference and said that accidents were the number one killer among people aged less than 45, worse than cancer or heart disease.
“We must pay special attention to youngsters, especially on the roads.
“They drive too fast and binge drink on a weekend and drive. They take more risks than older people and they even enjoy doing so,” he said.
He said that building this databank would allow the HID to build a concrete model and reliable information of how people get injured. “We must find ways of preventing such behaviour. Being small, Malta has the opportunity to get 100 per cent true data and things must be learnt from each and every incident.”
Dr Deguara also pointed out that the Health Ministry had recently secured E2 million in EU funds for health schemes.