Hospital on wheels to the rescue

Members of the Chinese government

TIMAH TASOH: Disaster victims could receive prompt treatment with a state-of-the-art hospital on wheels which allows for major surgeries to be performed on site.

With the mobile hospital, which is made up of five vehicles, the Chinese authorities can carry out medical procedures such as outpatient treatment, X-rays and surgeries.

“The operation van is equipped with an EKG (electrocardiogram) machine. In one day, we can check at least 100 people,” said Tian Junzhang, principal of China’s National Health Emergency Team’s field hospital, here.

China co-chairs the Asean Regional Forum Disaster Relief Exercise (ARF Direx) with Malaysia this year and it has sent a team of 45 medical personnel for the two-day exercise.

The team contributed 10 tents and five emergency vehicles for the exercise on Tuesday, which involved a mass flood evacuation mission.

Of the field hospital vehicles, one is equipped with an operating table for both minor and major surgeries.

“We also have a medical vehicle for X-rays, outpatient vehicle and equipment vehicle that houses surgery tools and medicines for 100 patients,” he told The Star on the sidelines of the exercise.

Completing the set is a command car equipped with a satellite dish to send information and relevant data back to emergency operations centres or nearby hospitals during disasters.

Kuala Lumpur Hospital Emergency Department and Trauma head Prof Datuk Seri Dr Abu Hassan Asaari Abdullah, who also visited the ARF Direx exercise sites, said Malaysia should acquire such mobile hospitals.

“It will definitely be useful in giving prompt treatment and response in times of emergency. It is also the best alternative when access to actual hospitals is not possible,” he said.