§ 3071 — Declaration of purpose

§ 3071. Declaration of purpose. Sudden illness and injury in children\nwithin the state of New York are responsible for five percent of all\nambulance calls in children under ten years of age, ten percent of all\nambulance calls in children under eighteen years of age, twenty-five\npercent of emergency department visits in urban areas, and forty percent\nof emergency department visits in rural areas. More than fifty percent\nof all such emergencies are caused by traumatic injuries, which alone\nare responsible for more than half of all childhood deaths within the\nstate of New York regardless of cause. The provision of timely and\neffective emergency medical services for children, including pediatric\nemergency medical, trauma, and disaster care, are therefore public\nhealth priorities of the highest order. It is the purpose and intent of\nthis article to ensure that such services are immediately available to\nall children within the state of New York.\n