[Epidemiology of accidents in East Germany]

Like in other industrialised countries injuries have, also in the GDR (17.1 Mill. inhabitants), considerable social consequences. This can be illustrated as follows: a daily number of 9800 in-patients or 30% of the surgical bed-capacity in hospitals;--an annual loss of 21.3 million working days which corresponds to 57 500 workingmen;--an annual loss of the produced national income amounting to 1200 million mark;--about 9000 trauma fatalities per year.