Health Ministry warns of waterborne diseases as El Niño rains loom
The Ministry of Health has warned of a heightened risk of waterborne diseases as the country prepares for increased rainfall linked to the El Nino weather phenomenon. Principal Secretary for Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni said heavy rains could increase cases of cholera, typhoid, dysentery and other diarrhoeal diseases, particularly in urban areas and […]
The Health Ministry is set to disclose the count of individuals impacted due to the halt in Flying Doctor Service (FDS) provision in Sarawak, according to Health Director-General Dr Mahathar Abd Wahab. The information will be unveiled by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. The healthcare officials have already prepared the statistics on the affected residents, which will be forwarded to the Health Minister for subsequent measures.
Dr Mahathar revealed this during a press conference following the MMA 2026 dinner, where he was accompanied by MMA president Dr L. Sivanaesan.
On Thursday, Dr Dzulkefly announced that all FDS operations in Sarawak had been temporarily suspended due to an accident involving a BO-105 helicopter utilized for the service in Long Lellang. The incident, which took place on Tuesday, resulted in the tragic loss of five individuals aboard the helicopter. The victims included medical officer Dr Ainul Baraah Kamaruddin, 33, medical assistant Alexson Adit Henry, 31, nurses Debra Moset, 40, and Jessie Paya Jok, 44, as well as pilot Captain Zainol Afiq Bee Sham, 30.
The suspension provides an opportunity for authorities to conduct an investigation and reassess the safety and operational aspects of the FDS.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
