The health ministry is looking into collaborating with private hospitals to offer ambulance services that will operate like ride-hailing services to expedite emergency responses. According to MOH deputy secretary-general (finance) Norazman Ayob, the plan aims at pooling government and private ambulances, moving away from the traditional view that hospitals must own their ambulances, CodeBlue reports.
The network can be accessed via an app rather than the 999 emergency hotline that caters only to public ambulances. The pool of MOH and non-MOH ambulances would operate like a commercial ride-hailing service, helping to expedite an emergency response as the caller has direct access to nearby ambulances instead of going through a 999 operator that handles all sorts of emergencies beyond medical cases.
Operating under this scenario, whichever ambulance, whether MOH or private, that is nearest to the caller will attend to the emergency call and take the patient to the nearest hospital, be it government or private. People will also be given an option to choose whether to go to a public or private hospital.
“I think, as far as ambulances are concerned, the conventional thinking is that hospitals must own the ambulance. We are slowly moving away from that. We are in discussion with the MOH and the finance ministry, and principally, they have agreed that the MOH will no longer own any ambulances,” he said.
“But that doesn’t mean we won’t have ambulances. We are going to lease these ambulances, along with drivers, and are considering whether to include paramedics. Not only that, we are throwing in an application to ‘Uberise’ or ‘Grab’ ambulance services, meaning now the patient or anyone needing the service won’t need to call an emergency number,” he added.
Norazman said people will simply have to download the app, press a button, and the ambulance will come to you. “We plan to partner with the private sector because we feel that private hospitals, like KPJ Healthcare, for example, don’t need their own ambulances either. They can partner with the MOH and create a shared pool of ambulances, and perhaps we can share costs. That’s the beauty of it,” he explained.
He said aside from enabling users to choose whether to go to a government or private hospital, the app will also allow users to track the ambulance’s journey and estimated time of arrival. He added that there will be no charges if people use the ambulance app to go to government hospitals; only those taken to private hospitals will have to pay for the ambulance service.
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Then who’s gonna pay for the ambulance ride for people who can’t afford it? Having chest pain but poor, so wait 40 minutes for the cheapest cost ride available? I don’t trust these Madanons who try to sell these ideas but withhold details about who will pay for the services. Very fishy.
Health care is an essential service that the government MUST provide to the people. Because the alternative is – can’t pay = let the illness take its course, for those without insurance.
Come on PMX…dont treat the rakyat like this.
U can carpool other vehicles.Not ambulances.
The huge Health 2025 budget allocation..for what? beautify senior doctors,administrators rooms?
There should be an increase in public ambulances.
Private hospitals and even some nursing homes charge thro the nose.How u expect the poor cobbler or fisherman to take an ehailing private ambulance with his poor income?(even with shared costing,still unaffordable).
Someone flew in the injured Palestinians from the cruel Israeli bombardment,gave them medical treatment,free accomodation,and one of them kicked the waste paper bin.
We Malaysians deserve better treatment as taxpayers . Not go thro an app to see which ambulance to choose from.
If MOH says moving away from operating ambulances,there will come a day some bright chap will say no more public hospitals..all under JV with private hospitals..u go thro an app to admit yourself if u kena spinal injury.Spinal surgery even at half cost JV with Sunway or Gleneagles will set u back 50 grand.
If this Madani germen is serious in getting a second term,all those Rafixi style of surprises should stop.
I thought the ambulance fleet in MOH is actually owned by Radicare?
MOH ambulances r maintained by Spanco
Radicare is a cleaning company to dispose clinical waste & sharp waste (syringes, needles, etc.)
MOH buys the ambulance and sends it to all hospital. After waranty these companies that is given contracts since zaman tok kaduk to maintain these vehicles, aside from them being a cleaning company. Radicare covers central and east coast, other companies covers northern and so on by region.
Mantap Madani.