KUALA LUMPUR: The Defence Ministry received 50 ambulances for the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) Health Corps which will replace its ageing vehicles.
These ambulances will be stationed at MAF hospitals and camps throughout the country.
They include Hospital Tuanku Mizan Wangsa Maju, Kem Terendak in Melaka and Kem Gemas in Negri Sembilan.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the actual number of ambulances required is around 130 vehicles.
“This (50 ambulances) is the first batch.
“We will order more when the country’s financial situation improves,” he said after the ceremony to receive the ambulances at Kementah camp here yesterday.
He added the ambulances were ordered during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Their use then was very pressing because of the volume of Covid-19 patients needed to be sent to the hospitals and quarantine centres, to the point where there were no more ambulances left.
“The new ambulances have all the required equipment to stabilise a patient,” he said.
He added that each ambulance will have an accompanying doctor and assistant medical officers on duty during emergency trips.
He said the ageing ambulances will be decommissioned.
In a statement, the MAF said that the new ambulances will help increase the capabilities of delivering quality healthcare, especially in the process of transportation of patients.
Also present during the ceremony were Chief of Defence Force Jen Tan Sri Affendi Buang, Chief of Army Jen Datuk Seri Mohammad Ab Rahman, Chief of Air Force Jen Tan Sri Mohd Asghar Khan Goriman Khan and Deputy Chief of Navy Vice-Admiral Datuk Sabri Zali.
