CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION:
Learn to save lives using 2 steps
POLLING stations have closed and the counting process has begun. You are sitting at a cafe waiting for the results to roll in. The atmosphere is intense. As the expected and unexpected results come in, emotions run high and suddenly the person at the next table clenches his chest, falls to the ground and becomes unconscious.
The victim has stopped breathing and his heart has stopped beating. He has about four to six minutes before brain damage begins to occur. Do you know what to do?
The victim would have a 30 per cent or more chance of survival if there was a bystander trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR.
Are you trained in CPR? Ask the person next to you if he or she is trained in CPR. If the answer is negative you are both in trouble.
Would you like to learn CPR now? While a full set CPR syllabus would require about four hours of training, "Hands Only CPR" technique needs a couple of minutes to master.
In 2008, the American Heart Association (AHA) released "Hands Only CPR" as there were concerns about CPR-trained bystander refusing to perform the lifesaving skills on a complete stranger, fearing possible transmission of disease from the victim to the rescuer when mouth-to-mouth breathing is applied.
AHA then proceeded to encourage the training of Hands Only CPR technique as it is easy to learn and only has two steps to perform.
In the event of a collapse, cardiac arrest, drowning, electrocution or any other reason where you find a victim has fallen unconscious and is not breathing, make sure it is safe to touch the victim and immediately perform the following two lifesaving steps:
CALL 999 and request for an ambulance; and,
PLACE the heel of your palms with your hands clenched, in the middle of the victim's chest and deliver 100 compressions a minute, press hard and fast. Do not stop until the paramedics arrive and tell you to stop.
Compressing the chest hard and fast moves the victim's oxygenated blood to the brains and keeps the brain cells alive while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.
Even if Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen were paramedics on duty at a hospital near you, they will never be able to reach the victim in time before irreversible brain damage begins in a time span as short as four minutes after the collapse. The victim's only chance of survival would come from the actions of the people nearest to him.
Read more: CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION: Learn to save lives using 2 steps - Letters to the Editor - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/cardiopulmonary-resuscitation-learn-to-save-lives-using-2-steps-1.271530#ixzz2Y9B23tdu
Friday 5 July 2013
Muar Ambulance Accident
MUAR: A heart patient was among three people who were injured when the ambulance they were travelling in overturned at Bakri here today after it was hit by a car.
Muar acting police chief Superintendent Shahadan Jaafar, who confirmed the incident, said investigations were being carried out to determine the cause of the accident.In the incident at 9.45am, the ambulance driver and a medical assistant were ferrying the patient, in his 50s, from the Putra Specialist Hospital in Batu Pahat to the Putra Specialist Hospital in Malacca.
The ambulance overturned when its two rear tyres burst after a Toyota Camry car, which was travelling from Muar to Bakri, rammed into it at the Jalan Pintas-Jalan Bakri traffic light junction.
The victims were rescued by Abdullah Sariman, 76, who witnessed the incident, and his son-in-law, Salihin Jaafar, 37, and other road users.
"I heard a loud noise and saw the ambulance overturn, with its siren still blaring."
Abdullah said that he and several people who came to help, had to prise open the door of the ambulance to extricate the victims.
The victims were then rushed to the Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital here by a Civil Defence Department vehicle. Bernama
Read more: Patient among 3 hurt as ambulance overturns - General - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/patient-among-3-hurt-as-ambulance-overturns-1.296587#ixzz2Y95g1lSe
Ambulance service in Malaysia is deplorable
PETALING JAYA: Ambulance service in Malaysia is deplorable and the quality of emergency treatment appalling, said Consumer Association of Subang and Shah Alam (Cassa) president Jacob George.
The outspoken social worker claimed that ambulance providers, especially government ambulances, did not live up to the expectation of being “emergency experts”.
“Many of the ambulances which attend to emergencies are not equipped properly and the medical aides on duty show a lack of knowledge in treating patients,” he added.
George told FMT that just 48 hours ago, a 67-year-old man from his church near here collapsed after washing the church van and when he called for an ambulance, they delayed by asking too many questions.
“They came late but what was even more saddening was that they were ill-prepared and were confused as to what were the normal emergency procedures.
“They automatically declared him dead although there was still a pulse and only then decided to rush him to the nearest hospital but he died on the way,” he said.
George added that this was no ordinary matter as people’s lives were at stake and if the public cannot even rely on adequate ambulance services, then their tax money was going to waste.
’900 complaints in three years’
He also highlighted an alarming fact that during the past three years, Cassa received over 900 complaints concerning the quality of ambulances.
“This number is extremely worrying and we [Cassa] have raised many issues but the authorities have done nothing so far,” he said.
Asked about the nature of the complaints, the Cassa president said it ranged from the quality of treatment provided, the quality of medical aides who were at the scene and the time that it took for ambulances to arrive.
George added that the previous director-general of health, Dr Ismail Merican, was supportive of improving the state that ambulances were in.
“I updated him on the state of our ambulance services and he immediately acted by sending out circulars to all government and private ambulance providers, asking them to meet new stricter
guidelines to improve the quality of service,” he said.
Asked about the current situation and why the lackadaisical attitude by the service providers, George said: I don’t know why the Health Ministry is not allocating enough funds to maintain and improve the quality of service… the present health minister [Liow Tiong Lai] is the worst we’ve had and he has not shown any interest at all.”
The Cassa head believes that the healthcare budget was being misused and proper funds were not been channelled accordingly, hence the present mundane state of ambulances and the staff.
George said that a committee had to be created to monitor the services provided and a comprehensive study must be done to mark areas in which there could be improvement so that Malaysian ambulances provide first-class treatment.
“Let’s not play the blame game, that’s not what we want, all we’re asking for is that the government puts its foot down and improves the service provided,” he said.
He added that there was “no place for shoddiness” and that ambulance providers and their on-duty personnel had to exude the level of expertise expected of them.
The outspoken social worker claimed that ambulance providers, especially government ambulances, did not live up to the expectation of being “emergency experts”.
“Many of the ambulances which attend to emergencies are not equipped properly and the medical aides on duty show a lack of knowledge in treating patients,” he added.
George told FMT that just 48 hours ago, a 67-year-old man from his church near here collapsed after washing the church van and when he called for an ambulance, they delayed by asking too many questions.
“They came late but what was even more saddening was that they were ill-prepared and were confused as to what were the normal emergency procedures.
“They automatically declared him dead although there was still a pulse and only then decided to rush him to the nearest hospital but he died on the way,” he said.
George added that this was no ordinary matter as people’s lives were at stake and if the public cannot even rely on adequate ambulance services, then their tax money was going to waste.
’900 complaints in three years’
He also highlighted an alarming fact that during the past three years, Cassa received over 900 complaints concerning the quality of ambulances.
“This number is extremely worrying and we [Cassa] have raised many issues but the authorities have done nothing so far,” he said.
Asked about the nature of the complaints, the Cassa president said it ranged from the quality of treatment provided, the quality of medical aides who were at the scene and the time that it took for ambulances to arrive.
George added that the previous director-general of health, Dr Ismail Merican, was supportive of improving the state that ambulances were in.
“I updated him on the state of our ambulance services and he immediately acted by sending out circulars to all government and private ambulance providers, asking them to meet new stricter
guidelines to improve the quality of service,” he said.
Asked about the current situation and why the lackadaisical attitude by the service providers, George said: I don’t know why the Health Ministry is not allocating enough funds to maintain and improve the quality of service… the present health minister [Liow Tiong Lai] is the worst we’ve had and he has not shown any interest at all.”
The Cassa head believes that the healthcare budget was being misused and proper funds were not been channelled accordingly, hence the present mundane state of ambulances and the staff.
George said that a committee had to be created to monitor the services provided and a comprehensive study must be done to mark areas in which there could be improvement so that Malaysian ambulances provide first-class treatment.
“Let’s not play the blame game, that’s not what we want, all we’re asking for is that the government puts its foot down and improves the service provided,” he said.
He added that there was “no place for shoddiness” and that ambulance providers and their on-duty personnel had to exude the level of expertise expected of them.
Star Care Ambulance Crash
Sinar Harian
Kemalangan Enam Kenderaan
SENAWANG - Enam kenderaan terlibat dalam kemalangan di Kilometer 253 Lebuhraya Utara - Selatan, berhampiran Plaza Tol Senawang di sini, awal pagi semalam.
Kejadian yang berlaku kira-kira 4.30 pagi itu menyaksikan enam kenderaan terdiri daripada Perodua Alza, Toyota Altis, Nissan Almeira, sebuah ambulans bernombor plat Singapura serta dua buah lori bertembung sesama sendiri.
Ketua operasi, Pegawai Bomba Kanan II, Ahmad Mohd Akhir berkata, sebuah jentera membabitkan tujuh anggota dari Balai Bomba dan Penyelamat Senawang dikejarkan ke tempat kejadian selepas pihaknya menerima panggilan kecemasan sekitar 4.40 pagi.
“Selain itu, dua anggota Unit Gerak Cepat Bermotosi-kal (RIM) dari Balai Bomba dan Penyelamat Seremban turut bergegas ke lokasi kemalangan bagi memberi bantuan awal kepada mangsa.
“Setibanya di lokasi kejadian, kita dapati salah satu kenderaan mula dijilat api. Bagaimanapun, kebakaran pada Alza berkenaan dapat dikawal dalam tempoh dua minit, sebelum berjaya dipadamkan sepenuhnya 10 minit kemudian,” katanya kepada Sinar Harian, di sini, semalam.
Ahmad berkata, seramai dua anggota ditugaskan memadamkan kebakaran, manakala dua lagi memberi rawatan kecemasan kepada salah seorang mangsa yang tercampak keluar dari Altis.
“Pada masa sama, mangsa yang masih terikat pada katil dalam ambulans yang menuju ke selatan semasa kemalangan itu juga mendapat bantuan paramedik daripada dua anggota,” katanya.
Menurut beliau, tiada kematian dilaporkan dalam insiden tersebut dan kesemua mangsa dibawa ke Hospital Tuanku Ja’afar, di sini untuk menerima rawatan lanjut.
Sementara itu, Pegawai Turus Trafik negeri, Asisten Superintendan Abd Halil Hamzah ketika dihubungi mengesahkan menerima laporan kejadian dan kes masih dalam siasatan.
Article and Pictures courtesy of Sinar Harian
Sunday 24 February 2013
Probe revealed ambulance despatched to accident scene
Director: Probe revealed ambulance despatched to accident scene
http://www.thesundaily.my/node/171730
Posted on 27 December 2006 - 03:09am Print PETALING JAYA (Dec 26, 2006): The Selangor Health Department's investigations revealed that Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Klang had despatched an ambulance immediately after receiving a call about an accident near the Batu Tiga toll (Elite Highway) on Dec 13.
In a statement today, Dr Ang Kim Teng, the department's health director, commended Zara Davies Abdul Rahman for her civic consciousness in assisting the injured victim but said there were some erroneous information in her account of her encounter with the hospital.
Two weeks ago, businesswoman Zara said she witnessed an accident on the highway and spent more than an hour waiting for an ambulance from the hospital, which allegedly never turned up. The accident victim, Mohd Yusry, died on the way to the hospital in a car.
Ang said investigations revealed the following:
•The hospital's call centre received a call for ambulance at 1.52pm on Dec13;
•Subsequently, a call was made to Zara by the ambulance crew at 1.57pm to clarify the location of the accident. The ambulance was despatched immediately after that;
•At 2.06pm, the centre received another call from Zara enquiring whether an ambulance had been despatched. The centre specifically informed her that it was already on its way and will take some time to arrive due to heavy traffic and the distance from the hospital. This conversation was recorded in the centre's record system.
•At 2.36pm, Zara again made a call to the centre requesting for directions to the hospital. She was given the assistance and arrived at the emergency department at 2.44 pm. The closed circuit TV recording showed the staff on duty had promptly pushed a trolley and followed behind Zara to fetch the victim from the car.
"From the above, it is clear that we have promptly responded to the call for ambulance, and it is not true that Zara waited for more than an hour for the ambulance.
"It was also not true that she was told that the ambulance had not been sent as our audio recordings indicated otherwise," Ang said.
"We hope this clarification will lay to rest the allegations by Zara on the failure of the ambulance to arrive as she had already left the scene before the ambulance arrived.
"The Klang Hospital and other hospitals in the state would continue to strive for speedy response to all ambulance calls bearing in mind that distance and traffic conditions sometimes hamper our efforts to reach the scene speedily," he added.
A check with Universiti Malaya Medical Centre's (UMMC) revealed that it only takes three to five minutes for an ambulance to be mobilised after receiving an emergency call from the public
A trauma and emergency centre official said if the hospital received a distress call from within the areas covered by the hospital, an ambulance will be despatched immediately.
"Our standard is that we try to reach the accident scene within 15 minutes or 30 minutes, the longest for us to respond to an emergency as it will also depend on the traffic.
"The UMMC has four ambulances and areas mostly covered by the hospital are Petaling Jaya, Bricksfield, until the National Mosque and Damansara, but if an accident occurred beyond the areas we covered, we will still try to render help," he told theSun today.
Three months ago, the Health Ministry's director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican had said any ambulance response time that was longer than 15 minutes was unacceptable.
http://www.thesundaily.my/node/171730
Posted on 27 December 2006 - 03:09am Print PETALING JAYA (Dec 26, 2006): The Selangor Health Department's investigations revealed that Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Klang had despatched an ambulance immediately after receiving a call about an accident near the Batu Tiga toll (Elite Highway) on Dec 13.
In a statement today, Dr Ang Kim Teng, the department's health director, commended Zara Davies Abdul Rahman for her civic consciousness in assisting the injured victim but said there were some erroneous information in her account of her encounter with the hospital.
Two weeks ago, businesswoman Zara said she witnessed an accident on the highway and spent more than an hour waiting for an ambulance from the hospital, which allegedly never turned up. The accident victim, Mohd Yusry, died on the way to the hospital in a car.
Ang said investigations revealed the following:
•The hospital's call centre received a call for ambulance at 1.52pm on Dec13;
•Subsequently, a call was made to Zara by the ambulance crew at 1.57pm to clarify the location of the accident. The ambulance was despatched immediately after that;
•At 2.06pm, the centre received another call from Zara enquiring whether an ambulance had been despatched. The centre specifically informed her that it was already on its way and will take some time to arrive due to heavy traffic and the distance from the hospital. This conversation was recorded in the centre's record system.
•At 2.36pm, Zara again made a call to the centre requesting for directions to the hospital. She was given the assistance and arrived at the emergency department at 2.44 pm. The closed circuit TV recording showed the staff on duty had promptly pushed a trolley and followed behind Zara to fetch the victim from the car.
"From the above, it is clear that we have promptly responded to the call for ambulance, and it is not true that Zara waited for more than an hour for the ambulance.
"It was also not true that she was told that the ambulance had not been sent as our audio recordings indicated otherwise," Ang said.
"We hope this clarification will lay to rest the allegations by Zara on the failure of the ambulance to arrive as she had already left the scene before the ambulance arrived.
"The Klang Hospital and other hospitals in the state would continue to strive for speedy response to all ambulance calls bearing in mind that distance and traffic conditions sometimes hamper our efforts to reach the scene speedily," he added.
A check with Universiti Malaya Medical Centre's (UMMC) revealed that it only takes three to five minutes for an ambulance to be mobilised after receiving an emergency call from the public
A trauma and emergency centre official said if the hospital received a distress call from within the areas covered by the hospital, an ambulance will be despatched immediately.
"Our standard is that we try to reach the accident scene within 15 minutes or 30 minutes, the longest for us to respond to an emergency as it will also depend on the traffic.
"The UMMC has four ambulances and areas mostly covered by the hospital are Petaling Jaya, Bricksfield, until the National Mosque and Damansara, but if an accident occurred beyond the areas we covered, we will still try to render help," he told theSun today.
Three months ago, the Health Ministry's director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican had said any ambulance response time that was longer than 15 minutes was unacceptable.
Govt gives up on hopeless ambulance service
Govt gives up on hopeless ambulance service
http://www.thesundaily.my/node/172629
Posted on 27 September 2006 - 01:12am Print KUALA LUMPUR: The government has given up on trying to correct the attitude of civil servants to provide satisfactory ambulance service at government hospitals.
"The attitude of drivers and lack of trained personnel have given us no choice but to to privatise the service," said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
He said a proposal on this was submitted to the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) last June (2006) and the ministry was awaiting approval.
"The ambulance service has been a headache for the government. New vehicles are breaking down after only four years due to poor handling.
"Because of this, we feel it is better to rent the ambulances or pay to use the private ones available," he told reporters after launching a "Special Discounted Indemnity Insurance Scheme for Young Medical Doctors" here today (Sept 26, 2006).
Chua was replying to a question on public complaints on the "slow and inefficient" ambulance service.
To date, there is currently about 1,000 ambulances at government hospitals nationwide, with 800 more new ambulances to be bought under the NinthMalaysia Plan (9MP).
However, Chua cautioned that a large number of ambulances need not necessarily guarantee quality services.
"It's akin to being at a restaurant. The presence of many waiters does not mean that your food will arrive fast," he added.
At the function, Chua presented a cheque for RM10,000 from the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) to the family of the late Dr Norbaizura Yahya.
Norbaizura, 24, who was attached with the Seremban Hospital, died two weeks ago after going into a 16-day coma following an accident involving an ambulance in Bangi last month.
http://www.thesundaily.my/node/172629
Posted on 27 September 2006 - 01:12am Print KUALA LUMPUR: The government has given up on trying to correct the attitude of civil servants to provide satisfactory ambulance service at government hospitals.
"The attitude of drivers and lack of trained personnel have given us no choice but to to privatise the service," said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
He said a proposal on this was submitted to the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) last June (2006) and the ministry was awaiting approval.
"The ambulance service has been a headache for the government. New vehicles are breaking down after only four years due to poor handling.
"Because of this, we feel it is better to rent the ambulances or pay to use the private ones available," he told reporters after launching a "Special Discounted Indemnity Insurance Scheme for Young Medical Doctors" here today (Sept 26, 2006).
Chua was replying to a question on public complaints on the "slow and inefficient" ambulance service.
To date, there is currently about 1,000 ambulances at government hospitals nationwide, with 800 more new ambulances to be bought under the NinthMalaysia Plan (9MP).
However, Chua cautioned that a large number of ambulances need not necessarily guarantee quality services.
"It's akin to being at a restaurant. The presence of many waiters does not mean that your food will arrive fast," he added.
At the function, Chua presented a cheque for RM10,000 from the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) to the family of the late Dr Norbaizura Yahya.
Norbaizura, 24, who was attached with the Seremban Hospital, died two weeks ago after going into a 16-day coma following an accident involving an ambulance in Bangi last month.
Tragic wait for ambulance
Tragic wait for ambulance
http://www.thesundaily.my/node/171827
Posted on 15 December 2006 - 05:12am Print KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 14, 2006): The indifferent and callous response of those responsible for saving lives may have cost an accident victim his life.
At 1.30pm on Wednesday, businesswoman Zara Davies Abdul Rahman came across an accident near the Batu Tiga toll booth on the Elite Highway, Shah Alam. A victim with serious injuries was lying motionless on the road, surrounded by a crowd.
Zara said when she approached him, he was still alive and grabbed her hand.
"I tried to calm him and asked bystanders if an ambulance had been called. I was told it had not," she said at the Parliament lobby today, while accompanied by Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang.
Zara said she told the driver who knocked into the motorcyclist to call for an ambulance but it took three attempts to 999 before there was a response, and the phone passed to her.
She said she disclosed her contact details and the accident's location, and told 999 that Klang Hospital was the closest hospital.
Subsequently, the hospital's ambulance control centre rang, and she had to repeat the information, stress the urgency of the situation and convince the caller that the hospital was the closest.
She called back at 2.06pm and was told the ambulance had not been sent. She was also asked to repeat the information she had given earlier. Frustrated, she called an aide to the mentri besar for help.
When she called the hospital again at 2.36pm, the ambulance had still not been sent.
Finally, the driver who knocked into the motorcyclist decided to drive him to the hospital with Zara leading the way.
But when they arrived, no one came to their aid, and the victim had died.
Zara said there were about eight ambulances parked at the hospital.
She called on the authorities to:
•locate emergency response centres and ambulances at strategic locations;
•provide proper road signs and directions to hospitals;
•provide special emergency exits at tolls, exit signs and emergency telephone numbers;
•highlight highway names at various locations so road users would be able to identify the location in case of emergency;
•have professionally-trained personnel;
•have emergency stations at hospitals that are staffed at all times; and
•implement a 15-minute response time for SOS calls.
Lim said he would write to the sultan, the Health Minister and the prime minister about the incident.
http://www.thesundaily.my/node/171827
Posted on 15 December 2006 - 05:12am Print KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 14, 2006): The indifferent and callous response of those responsible for saving lives may have cost an accident victim his life.
At 1.30pm on Wednesday, businesswoman Zara Davies Abdul Rahman came across an accident near the Batu Tiga toll booth on the Elite Highway, Shah Alam. A victim with serious injuries was lying motionless on the road, surrounded by a crowd.
Zara said when she approached him, he was still alive and grabbed her hand.
"I tried to calm him and asked bystanders if an ambulance had been called. I was told it had not," she said at the Parliament lobby today, while accompanied by Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang.
Zara said she told the driver who knocked into the motorcyclist to call for an ambulance but it took three attempts to 999 before there was a response, and the phone passed to her.
She said she disclosed her contact details and the accident's location, and told 999 that Klang Hospital was the closest hospital.
Subsequently, the hospital's ambulance control centre rang, and she had to repeat the information, stress the urgency of the situation and convince the caller that the hospital was the closest.
She called back at 2.06pm and was told the ambulance had not been sent. She was also asked to repeat the information she had given earlier. Frustrated, she called an aide to the mentri besar for help.
When she called the hospital again at 2.36pm, the ambulance had still not been sent.
Finally, the driver who knocked into the motorcyclist decided to drive him to the hospital with Zara leading the way.
But when they arrived, no one came to their aid, and the victim had died.
Zara said there were about eight ambulances parked at the hospital.
She called on the authorities to:
•locate emergency response centres and ambulances at strategic locations;
•provide proper road signs and directions to hospitals;
•provide special emergency exits at tolls, exit signs and emergency telephone numbers;
•highlight highway names at various locations so road users would be able to identify the location in case of emergency;
•have professionally-trained personnel;
•have emergency stations at hospitals that are staffed at all times; and
•implement a 15-minute response time for SOS calls.
Lim said he would write to the sultan, the Health Minister and the prime minister about the incident.
30 Choppers dedicated to aeromedical services
30 choppers dedicated to aeromedical services
Posted on 30 November 2010 - 06:40am Print newsdesk@thesundaily.com
http://www.thesundaily.my/node/135718
PETALING JAYA (Nov 29, 2010): The government plans to speed up emergency rescue and medical response throughout the peninsula with the use of about 30 helicopters dedicated to providing aeromedical services.
Hospital Kuala Lumpur Emergency and Trauma Unit head Datuk Dr Abu Hassan Asaari Abdullah said today the plan to use helicopters represented the “future of emergency medical response in our country”.
The plan mooted under the 10th Malaysia Plan, is expected to be fully implemented by 2015. Under the plan, the helicopters are expected to be distributed and given jurisdiction over the northern, central and
southern zones.
Abu Hassan said a task force under the National Security Council had been set up to co-ordinate and integrate all emergency rescue teams, including the Red Crescent, police, the fire and rescue department, to create a seamless unit that will respond quickly and efficiently to rescue victims in emergency situations, and this includes medical response by air.
Speaking at the second International Conference on Pre-Hospital Care and Emergency Communications Systems, he said a proposal to buy the helicopters had been submitted to the Economic Planning Unit in the Prime Minister’s Department.
As part of the conference, the Simpang Ampat express bus tragedy of Oct 10 , in which 13 people died, was re-enacted with the use of a rescue helicopter from Eurocopter. It was shown that a helicopter could have hypothetically saved the victims who did not get timely medical aid as ambulances were stuck in the jam along the expressway after the multi-vehicle collision.
Following the accident, police air unit commander Senior Assistant Commissioner Datuk Chuah Ghee Lye had suggested that it was high time Malaysia set up an air ambulance service to help victims who needed urgent medical attendance after an accident.
“Transporting victims quickly to hospitals will ensure they receive medical care quickly,” he said, adding that although setting up such a service would involve a high cost, it would benefit the nation in the long term, especially when faced with critical moments.
Chuah had said the police air wing was not adequately equipped to provide such medical rescue services.
Abu Hassan said emergency air medical rescue in the peninsula was ad hoc and there was no formal air rescue service.
“If the need is dire, helicopters from the military, police force or fire department would be called in to transport critical patients to the nearest hospital.
“Currently, the standard guideline for the use of a helicopter is only when it will take more than three hours to reach the victim by land,” he said.
However in East Malaysia, there are nine helicopters for rescue and medical response, as well as several others for use by the Orang Asli Affairs Department.
Abu Hassan declined to say if the 30 helicopters would be bought from Eurocopter, but the Eurocopter EC135 is already in use in Sabah and Sarawak.
A top-of-the-range, fully-equipped EC145 helicopter costs US$8 million (RM24 million).
Posted on 30 November 2010 - 06:40am Print newsdesk@thesundaily.com
http://www.thesundaily.my/node/135718
PETALING JAYA (Nov 29, 2010): The government plans to speed up emergency rescue and medical response throughout the peninsula with the use of about 30 helicopters dedicated to providing aeromedical services.
Hospital Kuala Lumpur Emergency and Trauma Unit head Datuk Dr Abu Hassan Asaari Abdullah said today the plan to use helicopters represented the “future of emergency medical response in our country”.
The plan mooted under the 10th Malaysia Plan, is expected to be fully implemented by 2015. Under the plan, the helicopters are expected to be distributed and given jurisdiction over the northern, central and
southern zones.
Abu Hassan said a task force under the National Security Council had been set up to co-ordinate and integrate all emergency rescue teams, including the Red Crescent, police, the fire and rescue department, to create a seamless unit that will respond quickly and efficiently to rescue victims in emergency situations, and this includes medical response by air.
Speaking at the second International Conference on Pre-Hospital Care and Emergency Communications Systems, he said a proposal to buy the helicopters had been submitted to the Economic Planning Unit in the Prime Minister’s Department.
As part of the conference, the Simpang Ampat express bus tragedy of Oct 10 , in which 13 people died, was re-enacted with the use of a rescue helicopter from Eurocopter. It was shown that a helicopter could have hypothetically saved the victims who did not get timely medical aid as ambulances were stuck in the jam along the expressway after the multi-vehicle collision.
Following the accident, police air unit commander Senior Assistant Commissioner Datuk Chuah Ghee Lye had suggested that it was high time Malaysia set up an air ambulance service to help victims who needed urgent medical attendance after an accident.
“Transporting victims quickly to hospitals will ensure they receive medical care quickly,” he said, adding that although setting up such a service would involve a high cost, it would benefit the nation in the long term, especially when faced with critical moments.
Chuah had said the police air wing was not adequately equipped to provide such medical rescue services.
Abu Hassan said emergency air medical rescue in the peninsula was ad hoc and there was no formal air rescue service.
“If the need is dire, helicopters from the military, police force or fire department would be called in to transport critical patients to the nearest hospital.
“Currently, the standard guideline for the use of a helicopter is only when it will take more than three hours to reach the victim by land,” he said.
However in East Malaysia, there are nine helicopters for rescue and medical response, as well as several others for use by the Orang Asli Affairs Department.
Abu Hassan declined to say if the 30 helicopters would be bought from Eurocopter, but the Eurocopter EC135 is already in use in Sabah and Sarawak.
A top-of-the-range, fully-equipped EC145 helicopter costs US$8 million (RM24 million).
Monday 21 January 2013
Red Crescent: Our ambulances are efficient
Red Crescent: Our ambulances are efficient
Jared Pereira
January 21, 2013 http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/01/21/red-crescent-our-ambulances-are-efficient/
PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Red Crescent (MRCS) insists that its ambulance service is top notch despite claims by a consumer association that ambulance services were in a depolarable state.
Consumer Association of Subang and Shah Alam (Cassa) president Jacob George claimed last week that Malaysian ambulance service providers lacked quality and the medical staff were unprofessional.
“Many of the ambulances which attend to emergencies are not properly equipped and the medical aides on duty show a lack of knowledge when treating patients,” he said.
But MRCS ambulance manager, Shamsiah Ahadir, refuted his claims by stating that MRCS applies the highest standards of practice in emergency situations and are dependable.
“I can’t speak on behalf of other [ambulance] providers but as far as I know, we [MRCS] are well equipped and our medical aides are extremely qualified,” she said.
Shamsiah, who is also MRCS acting director for emergency operations, also said that George’s claims were too “general”.
“We have all the basic amenities besides emergency equipment to provide proper life support to patients in crisis situations,” she said.
She said that all MRCS ambulances have two qualified ambulance medical aides and basic life support equipment such as oxygen cylinders, spinal boards, cervical collars, among others.
When asked about the recent case of a man who died due to poor service from an ambulance provider, Shamsiah said: “Such cases are few and far in between but nevertheless it should not happen and it’s saddening.”
In a recent interview, George claimed that of the 900 complaints that Cassa has received the past three years, the bulk of it involved the quality of treatment provided, the quality of medical personnel on duty and the time taken for ambulances to arrive.
Jared Pereira
January 21, 2013 http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/01/21/red-crescent-our-ambulances-are-efficient/
PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Red Crescent (MRCS) insists that its ambulance service is top notch despite claims by a consumer association that ambulance services were in a depolarable state.
Consumer Association of Subang and Shah Alam (Cassa) president Jacob George claimed last week that Malaysian ambulance service providers lacked quality and the medical staff were unprofessional.
“Many of the ambulances which attend to emergencies are not properly equipped and the medical aides on duty show a lack of knowledge when treating patients,” he said.
But MRCS ambulance manager, Shamsiah Ahadir, refuted his claims by stating that MRCS applies the highest standards of practice in emergency situations and are dependable.
“I can’t speak on behalf of other [ambulance] providers but as far as I know, we [MRCS] are well equipped and our medical aides are extremely qualified,” she said.
Shamsiah, who is also MRCS acting director for emergency operations, also said that George’s claims were too “general”.
“We have all the basic amenities besides emergency equipment to provide proper life support to patients in crisis situations,” she said.
She said that all MRCS ambulances have two qualified ambulance medical aides and basic life support equipment such as oxygen cylinders, spinal boards, cervical collars, among others.
When asked about the recent case of a man who died due to poor service from an ambulance provider, Shamsiah said: “Such cases are few and far in between but nevertheless it should not happen and it’s saddening.”
In a recent interview, George claimed that of the 900 complaints that Cassa has received the past three years, the bulk of it involved the quality of treatment provided, the quality of medical personnel on duty and the time taken for ambulances to arrive.
Ambulance service: Saving or killing lives?
Ambulance service: Saving or killing lives?
Jared Pereira
January 17, 2013
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/01/17/ambulance-service-saving-or-killing-lives/
PETALING JAYA: Ambulance service in Malaysia is deplorable and the quality of emergency treatment appalling, said Consumer Association of Subang and Shah Alam (Cassa) president Jacob George.
The outspoken social worker claimed that ambulance providers, especially government ambulances, did not live up to the expectation of being “emergency experts”.
“Many of the ambulances which attend to emergencies are not equipped properly and the medical aides on duty show a lack of knowledge in treating patients,” he added.
George told FMT that just 48 hours ago, a 67-year-old man from his church near here collapsed after washing the church van and when he called for an ambulance, they delayed by asking too many questions.
“They came late but what was even more saddening was that they were ill-prepared and were confused as to what were the normal emergency procedures.
“They automatically declared him dead although there was still a pulse and only then decided to rush him to the nearest hospital but he died on the way,” he said.
George added that this was no ordinary matter as people’s lives were at stake and if the public cannot even rely on adequate ambulance services, then their tax money was going to waste. ’900 complaints in three years’
He also highlighted an alarming fact that during the past three years, Cassa received over 900 complaints concerning the quality of ambulances.
“This number is extremely worrying and we [Cassa] have raised many issues but the authorities have done nothing so far,” he said.
Asked about the nature of the complaints, the Cassa president said it ranged from the quality of treatment provided, the quality of medical aides who were at the scene and the time that it took for ambulances to arrive.
George added that the previous director-general of health, Dr Ismail Merican, was supportive of improving the state that ambulances were in.
“I updated him on the state of our ambulance services and he immediately acted by sending out circulars to all government and private ambulance providers, asking them to meet new stricter guidelines to improve the quality of service,” he said.
Asked about the current situation and why the lackadaisical attitude by the service providers, George said: I don’t know why the Health Ministry is not allocating enough funds to maintain and improve the quality of service… the present health minister [Liow Tiong Lai] is the worst we’ve had and he has not shown any interest at all.”
The Cassa head believes that the healthcare budget was being misused and proper funds were not being channelled accordingly, hence the present mundane state of ambulances and the staff.
George said that a committee had to be created to monitor the services provided and a comprehensive study must be done to mark areas in which there could be improvement so that Malaysian ambulances provide first-class treatment.
“Let’s not play the blame game, that’s not what we want, all we’re asking for is that the government puts its foot down and improves the service provided,” he said.
He added that there was “no place for shoddiness” and that ambulance providers and their on-duty personnel had to exude the level of expertise expected of them.
January 17, 2013
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/01/17/ambulance-service-saving-or-killing-lives/
PETALING JAYA: Ambulance service in Malaysia is deplorable and the quality of emergency treatment appalling, said Consumer Association of Subang and Shah Alam (Cassa) president Jacob George.
The outspoken social worker claimed that ambulance providers, especially government ambulances, did not live up to the expectation of being “emergency experts”.
“Many of the ambulances which attend to emergencies are not equipped properly and the medical aides on duty show a lack of knowledge in treating patients,” he added.
George told FMT that just 48 hours ago, a 67-year-old man from his church near here collapsed after washing the church van and when he called for an ambulance, they delayed by asking too many questions.
“They came late but what was even more saddening was that they were ill-prepared and were confused as to what were the normal emergency procedures.
“They automatically declared him dead although there was still a pulse and only then decided to rush him to the nearest hospital but he died on the way,” he said.
George added that this was no ordinary matter as people’s lives were at stake and if the public cannot even rely on adequate ambulance services, then their tax money was going to waste. ’900 complaints in three years’
He also highlighted an alarming fact that during the past three years, Cassa received over 900 complaints concerning the quality of ambulances.
“This number is extremely worrying and we [Cassa] have raised many issues but the authorities have done nothing so far,” he said.
Asked about the nature of the complaints, the Cassa president said it ranged from the quality of treatment provided, the quality of medical aides who were at the scene and the time that it took for ambulances to arrive.
George added that the previous director-general of health, Dr Ismail Merican, was supportive of improving the state that ambulances were in.
“I updated him on the state of our ambulance services and he immediately acted by sending out circulars to all government and private ambulance providers, asking them to meet new stricter guidelines to improve the quality of service,” he said.
Asked about the current situation and why the lackadaisical attitude by the service providers, George said: I don’t know why the Health Ministry is not allocating enough funds to maintain and improve the quality of service… the present health minister [Liow Tiong Lai] is the worst we’ve had and he has not shown any interest at all.”
The Cassa head believes that the healthcare budget was being misused and proper funds were not being channelled accordingly, hence the present mundane state of ambulances and the staff.
George said that a committee had to be created to monitor the services provided and a comprehensive study must be done to mark areas in which there could be improvement so that Malaysian ambulances provide first-class treatment.
“Let’s not play the blame game, that’s not what we want, all we’re asking for is that the government puts its foot down and improves the service provided,” he said.
He added that there was “no place for shoddiness” and that ambulance providers and their on-duty personnel had to exude the level of expertise expected of them.
Sunday 4 November 2012
No delay in sending ambulance to scene of accident
THE STAR ONLINE
Wednesday September 7, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/9/7/focus/9437829&sec=focus
WITH reference to “Ambulance took too long, says dead man’s friend” (The Star, Sept 5) we would first and foremost sincerely like to extend our deepest condolences to the family of the late Ng Eng Hua who sustained severe head injuries and could not be saved.
The Deputy Director of Taiping Hospital has already contacted the complainant to seek further clarification and extend any explanations needed.
Based on the findings of the preliminary investigations and report by Taiping Hospital, a call for an ambulance was recorded at 11.32am, following which an ambulance from Taiping Hospital was sent.
The ambulance arrived at the location at approximately 11.40am on the same morning. The preliminary findings did not reveal any delay.
In addition, based on the preliminary report, no ambulance from Hospital Taiping was sent to Simpang at the same time.
Please do not hesitate to contact Dr Mohd. Yassim bin Abdul Rahman, Director of Taiping Hospital at 05-8083333 if there arises a need for further clarification.
DEPUTY STATE HEALTH DIRECTOR (MEDICAL),
Perak State Health Department.
Wednesday September 7, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/9/7/focus/9437829&sec=focus
WITH reference to “Ambulance took too long, says dead man’s friend” (The Star, Sept 5) we would first and foremost sincerely like to extend our deepest condolences to the family of the late Ng Eng Hua who sustained severe head injuries and could not be saved.
The Deputy Director of Taiping Hospital has already contacted the complainant to seek further clarification and extend any explanations needed.
Based on the findings of the preliminary investigations and report by Taiping Hospital, a call for an ambulance was recorded at 11.32am, following which an ambulance from Taiping Hospital was sent.
The ambulance arrived at the location at approximately 11.40am on the same morning. The preliminary findings did not reveal any delay.
In addition, based on the preliminary report, no ambulance from Hospital Taiping was sent to Simpang at the same time.
Please do not hesitate to contact Dr Mohd. Yassim bin Abdul Rahman, Director of Taiping Hospital at 05-8083333 if there arises a need for further clarification.
DEPUTY STATE HEALTH DIRECTOR (MEDICAL),
Perak State Health Department.
A gift for Penang — a 4WD ambulance
THE STAR ONLINE
Thursday October 7, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/10/7/north/7151164&sec=north
A SUM of RM210,000 was raised to purchase a four-wheel drive (4WD) ambulance, the first of its kind in the country and a first to operate in Penang.
The funds were raised by the Lion’s Club International District 308 B2 Malaysia in less than six months through donations and a charity dinner event last year.
Past District Governor Kenneth Saw, representing the Lions Club, handed over a mock key of the ambulance to the St John’s Ambulance Malaysia Penang Branch recently.
The ambulance, which is currently based in Air Itam, is able to transport patients from difficult-to-access locations such as highlands and the beachfront.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who was conferred with Honorary Lion status by the Lions Club of George Town two years ago, was present to officiate at the handing over.
In his speech, Lim explained some of the ambulance’s features, which enable it to be a fully-equipped vehicle.
“It has a global positioning system with a rear back-up camera. It also comes with a motorised winch to enable it to access off-roads and difficult terrain.
“The ambulance will be used to provide services in the northeast district here,” he said.
There are also plans to use the ambulance in Tanjung Bungah.
Saturday 3 November 2012
Baby born in ambulance made St John life member
THE STAR ONLINE
Friday May 15, 2009
By ANN TAN
GEORGE TOWN: A baby girl born in an ambulance on the way to the Penang Hospital has been made a life member of the Penang St John Ambulance.
Puteri Syifa Balqis Ismail was delivered on Monday by Muhammad Jusri Jamaluddin, 23, who had joined the Emergency Medical Assistance Service (EMAS) of St John Ambulance just four months ago.
In safe hands: Muhammad Jusri carrying the baby he helped to deliver while Farizal and Ismail look on in George Town yesterday.
Farizal Abdullah, 32 said she did not expect her baby to be born so soon as the due date was May 20.
She had earlier complained of abdominal pains at about 5am and asked her husband Ismail Said, 39, to send her to the hospital.
“As there was a very bad traffic jam at the time in Jalan Tengah, we decided to go to the Bayan Baru Community Clinic. Unfortunately, the clinic was not open,” the mother of five said, adding that her husband then sought help from Muhammad Jusri who was on duty at the EMAS base at the clinic.
Muhammad Jusri, who was trained to deliver babies last month, recalled: “Upon arriving at the hospital, the mother told me that the baby was coming out soon and we might not have time to admit her.
“When I saw the baby’s head coming out, I panicked and started feeling nervous but I kept my cool as my main concern was to deliver the baby safely,” he said, adding that he tried to recall the steps he learnt during last month’s course.
“We had only only practised on a dummy. Luckily the steps were still fresh in my mind and I delivered the baby without any complications,” he said.
Farizal said her eldest son was also a member of St John’s Ambulance. She hoped he and Puteri Syifa Balqis would grow up to be as dedicated as Muhammad Jusri.
Puteri Syifa Balqis is the second baby to be delivered in an ambulance since EMAS was set up about four years ago.
The first baby, a boy, was delivered by a Penang St John Ambulance member in 2007.
Ministry replacing old ambulances
THE STAR ONLINE
Tuesday September 11, 2007
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/9/11/nation/18841598&sec=nation
THE Health Ministry has taken steps to avoid accidents involving ambulances and is replacing old vehicles in stages, the Treasury said.
“Among the steps is to provide training to drivers according to the fixed module, monitoring the maintenance of ambulances by concessionaires and replacing old ambulances in stages according to new specifications,” said the Treasury in its report, when responding to findings in the Auditor-General’s report.
According to the report, 112 ambulances were involved in 120 road accidents from 2005 until September last year, causing two deaths and 29 injuries.
The accidents had also caused a decrease in the number of ambulances that could be used at any one time as repair works took a long time, the A-G’s report said.
On findings that some ambulances had basic medical equipment that were either not functioning well or non-existent, the Treasury said the ministry would ensure all ambulances were properly equipped.
“Repairs on non-functioning equipment had been carried out and a beyond economic repair (BER) certificate issued for ‘ailing’ vehicles,” the Treasury said.
On the RM514,439 fine, which had yet to be imposed on a contractor who was late in delivering 106 ambulances, the Treasury said the ministry would fine the supplier.
The A-G’s report also stated that ambulance service control centres at seven hospitals were not fully operational due to various reasons, including lack of communication tools, inadequate manpower or paramedic aid and the lack of expertise in handling the equipment.
The Treasury said the ministry was taking steps to improve its ambulance service, including upgrading its call centre radio communication at five hospitals at RM115,000 each.
For 2007, the ministry had spent RM3mil to upgrade call centres at all state and specialists hospitals, to install transmitter units and to ensure that vacancies were being filled, the Treasury said.
10-vehicle pile-up as bus crashes into ambulance
THE STAR ONLINE
Friday December 16, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/12/16/nation/10108560&sec=nation
KUALA LUMPUR: A driver was seriously injured when his school bus collided with an ambulance and the car he was trying to overtake crashed into seven other vehicles in Dutamas Raya, Segambut, here.
In the 7.30am incident yesterday, the driver, with no passengers in the bus, was heading towards the city when he tried to overtake a car and crashed into an ambulance coming from the opposite direction, said Kuala Lumpur Investigation and Traffic Regulations staff officer DSP Abdullah Roning.
Total wreck: A car was pinned under the school bus which collided with an ambulance near Dutamas Raya Thursday. The bus driver is in critical condition.
“The impact sent the car skidding and crashing into seven other vehicles that were mostly parked along the road shoulder,” he said. “Two were taxis.”
The bus driver, in his 30s, was seriously injured and sent to Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
The ambulance driver escaped unhurt. Bernama
Friday December 16, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/12/16/nation/10108560&sec=nation
KUALA LUMPUR: A driver was seriously injured when his school bus collided with an ambulance and the car he was trying to overtake crashed into seven other vehicles in Dutamas Raya, Segambut, here.
In the 7.30am incident yesterday, the driver, with no passengers in the bus, was heading towards the city when he tried to overtake a car and crashed into an ambulance coming from the opposite direction, said Kuala Lumpur Investigation and Traffic Regulations staff officer DSP Abdullah Roning.
Total wreck: A car was pinned under the school bus which collided with an ambulance near Dutamas Raya Thursday. The bus driver is in critical condition.
“The impact sent the car skidding and crashing into seven other vehicles that were mostly parked along the road shoulder,” he said. “Two were taxis.”
The bus driver, in his 30s, was seriously injured and sent to Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
The ambulance driver escaped unhurt. Bernama
Nurse in ambulance-taxi collision succumbs to injuries
Friday August 19, 2011
Nurse in ambulance-taxi collision succumbs to injuries
By R.S.N. MURALI
murali@thestar.com.my
MALACCA: A nurse who crawled out alive from an overturned ambulance on Monday has died.
Yuhana Yasin, 30, from Parit Jawa, Muar, suffered serious internal injuries in the 6.50pm accident when a taxi rammed the rear of the ambulance at the Seri Negeri/MITC junction in Ayer Keroh.
A critically-ill patient Maryam Baba, 73, who was being rushed to Hospital Kuala Lumpur in the same ambulance, also died at Malacca Hospital due to serious head injuries sustained in the accident.
Yuhana's fianc Mohd Faizal, 30, said they had planned to get married after Hari Raya.
He said Yuhana spoke to him shortly after the accident and said she would be returning home yesterday.
“I was told her condition deteriorated and she died at 1.15am in the Intensive Care Unit,” Mohd Faizal said at the hospital's mortuary yesterday.
Ambulance driver Mambang Rudy Hartono, 41, taxi driver Ali Muhammad Don, 61, and an unidentified medical officer also sustained injuries in the accident.
An eyewitness, Tan Bun Han, 40, said the ambulance was slowing down upon reaching a T-junction before the taxi rammed into it from behind.
“The impact caused the ambulance to land on its side,” he said.
Melaka Tengah Traffic and Public Order Chief Asst Supt V. Gunasegaran said the accident was being investigated.
Hasan: Ambulance drivers must abide by the rules when ferrying patients
THE STAR ONLINE
Monday June 4, 2012
By SARBAN SINGH
sarbans@thestar.com.my
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/6/4/nation/11413441&sec=nation
SEREMBAN: Ambulance drivers ferrying patients during an emergency are not exempted from the speed limit and other traffic rules.
They are also required to switch on their beacon lights and sirens only “if it is absolutely necessary”, said Health Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman.
Elaborating, he said despite attending to an emergency, ambulance drivers will have to stop when the traffic lights turn red, or where there is a “stop” sign before proceeding.
“They cannot, at any time, go against the traffic flow - unless they have prior approval,” he said in a recent directive.
The use of the lights and the beacon is allowed only on the basis of the patient's condition and not at the discretion of the ambulance driver.
“The drivers should be told that even if they have the lights and the beacon switched on, they would still have to obey traffic rules,” Dr Hasan said, adding that when a driver switches on the beacon lights and siren, it is not a licence to flout traffic laws but merely to let other motorists know he should be given priority of passage.
He added that the drivers should know the best possible way to get to the scene (of a crisis) and back to the hospital, especially during peak hours.
On a related matter, he said ambulance drivers cannot be asked to work more than 12 hours at a stretch.
“They should then be given a 12-hour break before resuming duties.”
In the event a patient needs to be taken to a destination more than four hours away, Dr Hasan said there should be two drivers in the ambulance.
He said the ministry had directed all government ambulance drivers to go through a defensive driving course so as to better understand the workings of their vehicle.
They would be given a certificate, which must be renewed every two years.
Dr Hasan said that during the course, the drivers would be briefed on the risks of driving an ambulance, factors to look out for when at the wheel as well as standard operating procedures and checks to ensure the vehicle's roadworthiness.
Monday June 4, 2012
By SARBAN SINGH
sarbans@thestar.com.my
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/6/4/nation/11413441&sec=nation
SEREMBAN: Ambulance drivers ferrying patients during an emergency are not exempted from the speed limit and other traffic rules.
They are also required to switch on their beacon lights and sirens only “if it is absolutely necessary”, said Health Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman.
Elaborating, he said despite attending to an emergency, ambulance drivers will have to stop when the traffic lights turn red, or where there is a “stop” sign before proceeding.
“They cannot, at any time, go against the traffic flow - unless they have prior approval,” he said in a recent directive.
The use of the lights and the beacon is allowed only on the basis of the patient's condition and not at the discretion of the ambulance driver.
“The drivers should be told that even if they have the lights and the beacon switched on, they would still have to obey traffic rules,” Dr Hasan said, adding that when a driver switches on the beacon lights and siren, it is not a licence to flout traffic laws but merely to let other motorists know he should be given priority of passage.
He added that the drivers should know the best possible way to get to the scene (of a crisis) and back to the hospital, especially during peak hours.
On a related matter, he said ambulance drivers cannot be asked to work more than 12 hours at a stretch.
“They should then be given a 12-hour break before resuming duties.”
In the event a patient needs to be taken to a destination more than four hours away, Dr Hasan said there should be two drivers in the ambulance.
He said the ministry had directed all government ambulance drivers to go through a defensive driving course so as to better understand the workings of their vehicle.
They would be given a certificate, which must be renewed every two years.
Dr Hasan said that during the course, the drivers would be briefed on the risks of driving an ambulance, factors to look out for when at the wheel as well as standard operating procedures and checks to ensure the vehicle's roadworthiness.
Siren chasers to be fined on the spot, says traffic chief
THE STAR ONLINE
Saturday May 5, 2007
By RASHITHA A. HAMID
rashitha@thestar.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: Drivers who trail or obstruct ambulances, fire engines or VIP motorcades can be fined RM300 on the spot.
And there will be no chance of the fine being reduced, Federal Traffic Chief, Senior Asst Comm II Datuk Nooryah Md Anvar said.
The decision was taken following the incident in Kuala Terengganu last month when two traffic cops escorting the Regent of Terengganu were killed in an accident.
Special team: Nooryah inspecting a guard of honour during her visit to the Jalan Bandar traffic police station in Kuala Lumpur.
The accident occurred when one of the police escorts rammed into a car that came to a sudden halt at a junction.
She said motorists should give way to prevent unnecessary incidents. “Motorist must give way because the sirens on police motorbikes, VVIP escort cars, ambulances and fire engines can be heard from more than 100m away,” she said, adding that the beacons on these vehicles could also be clearly seen.
SAC II Nooryah said it was also irresponsible for motorists to trail such vehicles and they could also be fined.
“It is wrong and dangerous for the motorist to copy the actions of the escorting vehicles.
The drivers are trained to drive fast and in the most demanding situations. “If a normal driver wants to drive as police escorts, we will end up with accidents,” she said.
She said fire engine and ambulance drivers should note down the registration number of vehicles obstructing them and hand the numbers over to the police.
She added that other vehicles could be traced by using closed circuit television.
Saturday May 5, 2007
By RASHITHA A. HAMID
rashitha@thestar.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: Drivers who trail or obstruct ambulances, fire engines or VIP motorcades can be fined RM300 on the spot.
And there will be no chance of the fine being reduced, Federal Traffic Chief, Senior Asst Comm II Datuk Nooryah Md Anvar said.
The decision was taken following the incident in Kuala Terengganu last month when two traffic cops escorting the Regent of Terengganu were killed in an accident.
Special team: Nooryah inspecting a guard of honour during her visit to the Jalan Bandar traffic police station in Kuala Lumpur.
Special team: Nooryah inspecting a guard of honour during her visit to the Jalan Bandar traffic police station in Kuala Lumpur.
The accident occurred when one of the police escorts rammed into a car that came to a sudden halt at a junction.
She said motorists should give way to prevent unnecessary incidents. “Motorist must give way because the sirens on police motorbikes, VVIP escort cars, ambulances and fire engines can be heard from more than 100m away,” she said, adding that the beacons on these vehicles could also be clearly seen.
SAC II Nooryah said it was also irresponsible for motorists to trail such vehicles and they could also be fined.
“It is wrong and dangerous for the motorist to copy the actions of the escorting vehicles.
The drivers are trained to drive fast and in the most demanding situations. “If a normal driver wants to drive as police escorts, we will end up with accidents,” she said.
She said fire engine and ambulance drivers should note down the registration number of vehicles obstructing them and hand the numbers over to the police.
She added that other vehicles could be traced by using closed circuit television.
Road-users using emergency sirens to get special treatment
THE STAR ONLINE
Wednesday April 4, 2007
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/4/4/nation/17339012&sec=nation
KOSMO! reported that, for a mere RM90 worth of accessories, a car or motorbike owner could “act” like a policeman and get special treatment on the roads.
It said a group of car and motorbike owners had added accessories to their vehicles that sounded like police and ambulance sirens, to confuse other road-users and bully them into giving way.
Calling it the latest fad on the road, the newspapers said the siren, which is connected to a loudspeaker, came in very handy especially during traffic jams.
Some Mat Rempit (illegal bike racers) also had the cheek to fix the sirens on their motorbikes and pretend to be policemen, even directing traffic so that their gang of bikers could move along the road easily.
Kosmo! reporters went to the ground after receiving complaints from readers and found many car accessory shops in Klang Valley selling these sirens and even displaying them openly, although they knew this was an offence.
A youngster identified as Sally, whose friends had installed the sirens in their cars for fun, said the sirens had become popular over the last two years, and were mostly sold in Shah Alam, Klang, Cheras and Gombak.
Another person named Syamsul said it took only 30 minutes for the siren to be installed.
Road Transport Department enforcement director Salim Parlan, when contacted by the newspaper, said the accessory shops, and the car and bike owners with the sirens could be fined RM2,000 or jailed not more than six months for the offence.
Wednesday April 4, 2007
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/4/4/nation/17339012&sec=nation
KOSMO! reported that, for a mere RM90 worth of accessories, a car or motorbike owner could “act” like a policeman and get special treatment on the roads.
It said a group of car and motorbike owners had added accessories to their vehicles that sounded like police and ambulance sirens, to confuse other road-users and bully them into giving way.
Calling it the latest fad on the road, the newspapers said the siren, which is connected to a loudspeaker, came in very handy especially during traffic jams.
Some Mat Rempit (illegal bike racers) also had the cheek to fix the sirens on their motorbikes and pretend to be policemen, even directing traffic so that their gang of bikers could move along the road easily.
Kosmo! reporters went to the ground after receiving complaints from readers and found many car accessory shops in Klang Valley selling these sirens and even displaying them openly, although they knew this was an offence.
A youngster identified as Sally, whose friends had installed the sirens in their cars for fun, said the sirens had become popular over the last two years, and were mostly sold in Shah Alam, Klang, Cheras and Gombak.
Another person named Syamsul said it took only 30 minutes for the siren to be installed.
Road Transport Department enforcement director Salim Parlan, when contacted by the newspaper, said the accessory shops, and the car and bike owners with the sirens could be fined RM2,000 or jailed not more than six months for the offence.
Errant ambulance drivers to face action
The Star Online
Tuesday September 4, 2012
By NICHOLAS CHENG
nicholascheng@thestar.com.my
PETALING JAYA: Organisations and private ambulance service operators have pledged to act sternly against drivers who abuse the emergency siren.
Malaysian Red Crescent (MRC) secretary-general Datuk Noordin Abd Razak said it was unacceptable for ambulance drivers to act in such a manner.
“We have trained and warned our drivers as to the gravity of their job,” he said yesterday.
Noordin said all MRC ambulance drivers were closely monitored to avoid “moral lapses”.
St John Ambulance Malaysia (SJAM) Selangor commander Datuk Burnard Yeo said the body received about three complaints every month about drivers abusing their sirens.
“We thoroughly investigate each case. Discipline is of utmost importance and the actions of such drivers cannot be tolerated as they are in service to the public,” he said.
Yeo said SJAM conducted regular reviews and quality control surveys with patients to keep drivers in check.
Maha Mas Medic Services Sdn Bhd operations director Abdul Halim Jainul Abdeen said the ambulance service provider practised a “no tolerance” policy on such drivers.
“We do not receive many complaints but stern action has been taken against drivers who resort to such behaviour,” said Halim, who dismissed two drivers this year for abusing their sirens.
He said those who wanted to make complaints should provide location and time details as investigations involved checking an ambulance’s GPS tracking system to confirm if it had attended to an emergency call during the time.
Halim, however, explained that the siren could be switched on when an ambulance gets a dispatch call to go to a certain area.
MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong, who has also received complaints of unprofessional behaviour by ambulance drivers, urged the Health Ministry to provide more training for the drivers.
“I have also received reports of ambulance drivers from private companies demanding payment from patients when they arrive at the hospital,” he added.
Friday 2 November 2012
Act against vehicles with flashing LED lights
THE STAR ONLINE
Friday November 2, 2012
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/11/2/focus/12261015&sec=focus
I REFER to “Beware of Flashing Bright Blue Light ” (The Star, Nov 1). With the LED technology becoming more widespread, almost all outlets selling LED lights are also selling flashing bright blue LED lights similar to that used by the police or other enforcement agencies.
More and more civilian vehicles are being fitted with them and the drivers sometimes tailgate and bully other vehicles to give way to them.
One evening, I came across a convoy of vehicles organised by a motor club where about three quarters of the cars had those flashing blue LED lights on their dashboards, pushing other vehicles to the side.
Worse still, there were also several tow trucks and their agents openly displaying and putting on the bright blue lights in their vehicles to “race” to the location of a road accident, forcing other vehicles aside so that they can get the “business” first.
Some of them have police type sirens as well.
I think it is about time enforcement is carried out to check on this and to confiscate those using the flashing bright blue lights other than those authorised such as the police, RTD, SPAD , Immigration and so on.
Motorists will be confused if everyone can use these lights, i.e. whether to give them way or not since these vehicles do not carry any enforcement logo on them.
Outlets selling LED lights should not be allowed to sell blue flashing LED lights similar to those used by the enforcement agencies.
White, red, green flashing LED lights should not be a problem, I think. If this “impersonation” continues, someday motorists will not even bother to give way even if is a genuine case of emergency.
CONCERNED
Kajang
Friday November 2, 2012
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/11/2/focus/12261015&sec=focus
I REFER to “Beware of Flashing Bright Blue Light ” (The Star, Nov 1). With the LED technology becoming more widespread, almost all outlets selling LED lights are also selling flashing bright blue LED lights similar to that used by the police or other enforcement agencies.
More and more civilian vehicles are being fitted with them and the drivers sometimes tailgate and bully other vehicles to give way to them.
One evening, I came across a convoy of vehicles organised by a motor club where about three quarters of the cars had those flashing blue LED lights on their dashboards, pushing other vehicles to the side.
Worse still, there were also several tow trucks and their agents openly displaying and putting on the bright blue lights in their vehicles to “race” to the location of a road accident, forcing other vehicles aside so that they can get the “business” first.
Some of them have police type sirens as well.
I think it is about time enforcement is carried out to check on this and to confiscate those using the flashing bright blue lights other than those authorised such as the police, RTD, SPAD , Immigration and so on.
Motorists will be confused if everyone can use these lights, i.e. whether to give them way or not since these vehicles do not carry any enforcement logo on them.
Outlets selling LED lights should not be allowed to sell blue flashing LED lights similar to those used by the enforcement agencies.
White, red, green flashing LED lights should not be a problem, I think. If this “impersonation” continues, someday motorists will not even bother to give way even if is a genuine case of emergency.
CONCERNED
Kajang
Beware of flashing bright blue lights
THE STAR ONLINE
Thursday November 1, 2012
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/11/1/focus/12253932&sec=focus
NOWADAYS, I see many vehicles that have bright flashing blue lights on the front windshield. These vehicles are unmarked.
Some of them look very suspicious and do not look like normal police vehicles.
The lights seem to come on during jams, on highways, but seldom in city centres or where there are traffic policemen.
I have also seen such vehicles slow down sharply when passing AES cameras. They speed again after passing the camera.
I would like the police to advise us on whether we should pull over whenever a vehicle with flashing blue lights come up behind us and stop upon being prompted to do so.
Are we required to assume that every one of them is an emergency enforcement vehicle? How do we know they are not bogus cops or possibly, even robbers?
CONFUSED
Seremban
Thursday November 1, 2012
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/11/1/focus/12253932&sec=focus
NOWADAYS, I see many vehicles that have bright flashing blue lights on the front windshield. These vehicles are unmarked.
Some of them look very suspicious and do not look like normal police vehicles.
The lights seem to come on during jams, on highways, but seldom in city centres or where there are traffic policemen.
I have also seen such vehicles slow down sharply when passing AES cameras. They speed again after passing the camera.
I would like the police to advise us on whether we should pull over whenever a vehicle with flashing blue lights come up behind us and stop upon being prompted to do so.
Are we required to assume that every one of them is an emergency enforcement vehicle? How do we know they are not bogus cops or possibly, even robbers?
CONFUSED
Seremban
Saturday 27 August 2011
Putera Club Ambulances to the Rescue
Saturday August 27, 2011
Putera Club ambulances to the rescue
PUTRAJAYA: The Emergency Bureau of Putera 1Malaysia Club will place 11 ambulances at several hotspots along the highways from today until Sept 5 in view of the Hari Raya rush.
The ambulance unit was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the lobby of the Perdana Putra building here yesterday.
Ready for service: Some of the Putera Club ambulances that were launched by Najib in Putrajaya yesterday. — Bernama
Club president Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim said the ambulances would be on 24-hour stand-by at several locations along the Kuala Lumpur-Bukit Kayu Hitam Subang toll, Sungai Besi-Johor Baru toll and Gombak-Gua Musang toll highways.
“The vehicles will have emergency equipment and there will be 11 volunteer doctors and 66 paramedics made up of college students and former Mat Rempit (illegal motorcycle racers),” he told reporters.
“We will work with the highway authorities, police, and the Fire and Rescue Department,” he added. — Bernama
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