Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad says the Flying Doctor Service will continue after the Sarawak crash as it remains vital to remote communities.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry (MOH) will not suspend the Flying Doctor Service (FDS) following yesterday’s helicopter crash in Long Lellang, Sarawak, with Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad saying the ministry would instead strengthen the service.
He said there was no reason to halt the FDS as it remained crucial to providing healthcare access to communities living in remote and interior areas.
“We will continue with it. We will double down, further empower it and continue providing the service,” he said at a media conference on the FDS helicopter crash in Long Lellang, Sarawak, today.
Dzulkefly said there was no question of abandoning the service, which has been operating since the 1970s to bring healthcare closer to people in hard-to-reach areas.
He said the importance of the FDS was particularly evident in supporting universal health coverage (UHC), especially for communities in the interior.
Dzulkefly said the ministry’s priorities following the incident were to ensure the safety of healthcare personnel involved in FDS operations, safeguard the welfare of the victims’ families and ensure continuity of healthcare services for remote communities.
On the use of helicopters for the FDS, he said the ministry would take into account information and findings from the relevant authorities, particularly those concerning aviation safety, before deciding on the continuation of helicopter operations.
He said FDS helicopter services had always been outsourced through contractual arrangements as the ministry did not own helicopter assets.
“Unlike boats, mobile clinics and other assets, we do not have our own helicopters.
“The helicopter service has always been provided through a contracted arrangement, mainly due to considerations such as maintenance,” he said.
Dzulkefly stressed that safety would not be compromised, with all technical and aviation safety requirements remaining subject to stringent criteria set by the relevant authorities.
Meanwhile, Health Ministry director-general Datuk Seri Dr Mahathar Abd Wahab said the FDS comprised several components, including scheduled services conducted monthly or every two months, depending on the needs of communities in remote areas.
He said another component was medical evacuation (medevac), which involved transporting critically ill patients for further treatment.
For medevac operations, he said flights would continue where necessary, particularly in medical emergencies involving critically ill patients, subject to flight clearance as well as prevailing safety and weather conditions.
Dzulkefly said the ministry would continue to provide updates on the incident once verified information was received from the relevant authorities.
