In Klang, the government is trying to shorten the ambulance response time.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai emphasizes that pre-hospital care and ambulance response time were very important. The ministry is said had spent RM63.5mil in year 2009 to purchase 187 ambulances.Total ambulances now are 1,387 .
All ambulances and call centres is said to be equipped with standard radiocommunications devices through Government Integreated Radio Network project. But, for now, only 1,207 of these devices have been supplied and installed in hospitals in the Klang Valley, Negri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor.
Liow hoped that Malaysia could achieve the international standards of ambulance response time which was 8 to 10 minutes instead of the current 30 minutes.
“We can save a life if the ambulance response time is shorter say 10 to 15 minutes,” he added.
Additionally, related to medical aspect, there have been complaints that private hospitals were charging up to RM20,000 as deposit for admission into their intensive care units, he said the ministry would look into the matter and the public could lodge complaints with its medical practices department.
