At the ready: SJAM members waiting on standby along the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway in George Town. — K.T. GOH/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: St John Ambulance of Malaysia (SJAM) will be on standby during Chinese New Year for emergencies.
Themed Ops Selamat Ambulance Standby, the effort will focus on two periods – first during the exodus on Jan 25 to 27 and Feb 1 to 3 during the post-celebration travel.
SJAM Penang commander Datuk Seri Dr Yee Thiam Sun said volunteers would work in eight to 12-hour shifts, with each team comprising four trained first aiders including drivers, crew members and first-aid assistants.
“The initiative marks our unwavering commitment to public safety and emergency response, especially during one of the busiest festive seasons.
“Since 1995, SJAM has been providing emergency ambulance standby services along major highways nationwide during the peak festive travel season.
“Locations such as the Juru toll plaza on the North-South Expressway and the Kubang Semang toll plaza on the Butterworth-Kulim Expressway have become critical points for emergency response due to the heavy traffic and unfortunate rise in road accidents,” said Dr Yee.
Last year, after carefully studying the trend and needs, SJAM made a bold but strategic shift by stationing its operations closer to the community in Air Itam instead of along the highways.
“This decision has proven to be impactful by enabling us to respond to a broader range of emergencies and maximise our resources,” Dr Yee said before launching the service at the organisation’s headquarters on Jalan Grove here yesterday.
He added that the 24-hour Relau Hotspot 999 Base would operate throughout the festive season.Air Itam assemblyman Joseph Ng, who contributed RM3,000 to the organisation, thanked the volunteers for their steadfast dedication towards the community.
He urged the community to be mindful of the emergency services by giving way on the road at critical times and to provide their support through blood donations to help save lives.
Also present at the ceremony were SJAM deputy state commander Karen Lim Jia Dih and southwest area commander Datuk Seri Syed Aidid Syed Mohamed.
