Among the affected areas is Pa Tik, where healthcare personnel may need to travel on foot for up to two days from the Bario Health Clinic.
PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry (MOH) is activating alternative healthcare arrangements for about 14,830 residents in 85 remote locations in Sarawak following the temporary suspension of the Flying Doctor Service (FDS).
The suspension affects seven FDS teams, with the ministry reassessing healthcare delivery for each affected locality based on accessibility and local conditions.
MOH said it was maximising alternative modes of transport, including road and river routes, to maintain access to healthcare services.
However, these alternatives would only be implemented after risk assessments covering road and river conditions, travel time, weather and vehicle suitability to ensure the safety of healthcare personnel.
For remote locations facing severe geographical and infrastructure constraints, the ministry is also coordinating specific logistical arrangements.
Among the affected areas is Pa Tik, where healthcare personnel may need to travel on foot for up to two days from the Bario Health Clinic.
Ba Itam, Ba Abang and Long Tebangan are also facing significant access challenges, with travel from the Long Bedian Health Clinic taking between four and 10 hours due to damaged routes and collapsed bridges.
For high-risk locations and emergency medical evacuations (Medevac), MOH said it would continue strengthening strategic cooperation with the Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) and Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM).
The ministry said the duration of the FDS suspension would depend entirely on the outcome of an official investigation into the incident that prompted the suspension.
“MOH will provide full cooperation to the relevant agencies to ensure the investigation into the incident is completed comprehensively,” it said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, MOH said all healthcare personnel involved in FDS teams would continue to be protected under regulations and policies applicable to civil servants.
The ministry is also conducting a comprehensive audit, including a review of service location mapping, FDS operators’ compliance with required standards and the psychosocial support needs of affected healthcare personnel.
MOH said FDS operations would only resume once it was fully satisfied that the operational capacity and service delivery system were safe.
It stressed that the approach was aimed at maintaining healthcare access through risk-based, phased and accountable decisions without compromising the safety of healthcare personnel and patients.
The ministry said the measures were in line with the principles of accessibility, equity and universal health coverage.
