SAN DIEGO, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- The chief of trauma for the University of California, San Diego, Health System says the state needs a statewide trauma system.
Dr. Raul Coimbra said during a statewide trauma and resuscitation conference in San Diego that cutting-edge technology and the latest trends in trauma care could be incorporated into a statewide system.
"While San Diegans live in a region that enjoys one of the best trauma systems in the world, California, as a whole, does not," Coimbra said at the conference. "The formation of a statewide trauma structure has been discussed for 20 years."
Coimbra said statistics show survival rates increase by at least 25 percent in areas covered by the trauma umbrella.
"You could drive for hours throughout California and find yourself in pockets where there are no trauma centers," he said. "A statewide system will insure that every inch of California is covered and people are directed immediately to the right facility and personnel in case of an emergency."
