SHAH ALAM, 8 Aug 2017:
The Health Ministry is in the midst of distributing 500 ambulances with new specifications to hospitals and health clinics nationwide further enhance the pre-hospital treatment and ambulance services in the country.
Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said the distribution of the ambulances began early this month and is expected to be completed by September next year – involving a total allocation of RM400 million.
“The distribution, which will also include hospitals and clinics in Sabah and Sarawak, will depend on their (hospitals and clinics) needs. In addition, this exercise is also meant to replace old ambulances aged over 20 years.”
Dr Subramaniam said said the new fleet of ambulances would have wide-bodied element – in which the patients would feel more comfortable especially for long-distance ride – and narrow-bodied element, which would be an advantage during short-distance ride, as well as during traffic congestion.
“In addition, these ambulances are also equipped with high-tech and sophisticated medical equipment, including the 12-lead ECG (electrocardiogram) transmission and telemetry.”
Among the hospitals which received the new ambulances at the ceremony were the Kuala Lumpur Hospital, as well as Shah Alam, Serdang, Selayang, Ampang, Kajang, Kuala Kubu Baharu, Tanjong Karang and Banting hospitals.
Meanwhile, Dr Subramaniam said the Selayang Hospital and the Kuala Lumpur Health Clinic were chosen as the operations centre for athletes or officials requiring medical attention during the upcoming 29th SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur.
“We’ll be on standby throughout the Games and we have (medical) personnel stationed at all the venues.”
Later, the Ministry of Health branded a press statement claiming the ministry had purchased ambulances worth RM400 million, as inaccurate.
Secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Chen Chaw Min said in a statement that the acquisition of 500 ambulances was worth RM225.2 million – whereby half of them were fully featured with the latest medical equipment, such as advance cardiac care devices, portable ventilators, portable medical suction units, foldable stretchers with safety belts, syringe perfusion pumps and vital sign monitors.
He also informed that since 2010, a total of 925 ambulances have been acquired with a value of about RM389 million.
Dr Chen hoped that with the statement, irresponsible parties would stop distorting the facts to confuse the people.
– Bernama