KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry has obtained special approval from the Finance Ministry to procure 91 Type B ambulances outside its existing supply contract.
The ministry said the vehicles will be delivered in phases to health facilities nationwide.
It added that under the previous contract the supplier delivered 115 units comprising 100 Type A and 15 Type B ambulances and said that a large share of the current fleet is past its optimal service life.
“Data shows that 1,773 ambulances, or 89.8% of the ministry’s 1,975 vehicles, are more than six years old,” it said.
“This procurement is aimed at replacing outdated and uneconomical units to ensure efficient ambulance services,” added the ministry in a reply to Senator Dr Lingeshwaran R. Arunasalam.
The ministry said it remains committed to improving ambulance coverage, pre-hospital and inter-facility care.
It acknowledged contractor delays that disrupted delivery schedules and led to termination of the previous contract.
Dr Lingeshwaran said Penang recorded 18,992 emergency ambulance calls under the MECC999 system between January and September.
He said Health Ministry ambulances responded to 14,180 cases, or 74.7%, while NGO and community ambulances handled 4,812 cases, or 25.3% and added that this trend is likely mirrored in other states
Under the NG999 system only St John Ambulance and the Malaysian Red Crescent are formally recognised.
Dr Lingeshwaran said that nearly 10 other NGOs in Penang actively respond to emergencies but remain outside the official framework.
He then added that an NGO or community ambulance manages one in four emergency calls in Penang.
He said this is crucial given narrow roads, heavy congestion and an ageing fleet exceeding replacement thresholds.
Dr Lingeshwaran then urged the ministry to expedite guidelines for community ambulances and include them in Priority 1 responses, except O&G cases and death confirmations.
He warned continued exclusion would worsen response times during peak traffic or life threatening situations.
“With their proven track record and significant workload, integrating all community ambulances into the national system is urgently necessary,” he said.
