4 agencies to provide medical flights during FDS suspension

Four enforcement agencies in Malaysia will provide medical flights to remote areas during the temporary suspension of the Flying Doctor Service (FDS) following the helicopter crash in Sarawak, according to Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad. The agencies involved are the police, the fire and rescue department, the Royal Malaysian Air Force, and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.

The suspension occurred after the crash at Long Lellang in Ulu Baram, Sarawak, which killed five people, including medical officer Dr Ainul Baraah Kamarudin. The FDS delivers medicines, vaccines, and performs medical evacuations for critically ill patients in rural areas, covering 97 remote localities in Kapit, Miri, and Limbang.

The ministry is currently reviewing all contracts related to the FDS, including helicopter services, and will implement measures to strengthen the safety of FDS operations once the investigation into the crash concludes.

Brief written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.