Four agencies to support medical flights in remote Sarawak - Dzulkefly

KOTA BARU: Four enforcement agencies - the police, Royal Malaysian Air Force, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and Fire and Rescue Department - will assist the Ministry of Health in carrying out emergency flights to aid people in remote areas of Sarawak, according to Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. This service will be used temporarily until the investigation into the incident involving the Flying Doctor Service's helicopter is concluded.

The alternative measures include requesting assistance from the Fire Department through its Emergency Medical Air Rescue Services. The ministry wants to strengthen safety measures while the service remains suspended. The ministry's seven FDS teams currently provide services to around 14,000 to 15,000 residents in hard-to-reach areas.

On Tuesday, five people on board a Bo-105 helicopter operated by Layang-Layang Aerospace died after the aircraft crashed near the Long Lellang STOLport runway around 3.40pm, including Dr Ainul Baraah Kamarudin (33), Captain Zainol Afiq Bee Sham (30), medical assistant Alexson Adit Henry (31), and nurses Jessie Paya Jok (44) and Debra Moset (40).