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.