TAIPING: The Health Ministry is unable to provide a timeframe for the resumption of the Flying Doctor Service (FDS) in Sarawak, says Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
The Health Minister said the FDS will only resume once investigations into the Sept 8 helicopter crash are completed.
"We want to resume as soon as possible. But until a decision has been made, everything remains dependent on the outcome of the investigation.
"I cannot give a specific timeframe or date because I do not want to make promises," he told reporters after a working visit to the Taiping Hospital here on Monday (Sept 21).
Dzulkefly said the suspension had affected scheduled visits to rural and interior areas.
He said the FDS serves more than 14,000 people.
"These are not medical emergencies but scheduled visits we conduct in the rural and interior areas," he said.
He also said that the ministry was currently working with the Public Service Department's Pension Division and the Finance Ministry on issues involving ex-gratia payments, retirement benefits and other related matters.
On compensation, Dzulkefly said details could not be disclosed at this stage as authorities were still compiling the information.
He said the ex-gratia payment involved several components and the calculation was detailed.
"The process is still ongoing," he said.
The helicopter involved in the Sarawak crash was operated by Layang Layang Aerospace Sdn Bhd, a private charter firm based in Kota Kinabalu.
During the incident on Sept 8, four medical personnel and a pilot were killed in the crash at Long Lellang STOLport airstrip.
On the visit to the hospital, Dzulkefly said the ministry had allocated over RM1.65mil to upgrade and improve facilities at the hospital.
He said the allocation covers upgrading, renovation and repair works involving healthcare facilities, toilets and other areas.
He said this was an increase from the RM571,000 allocated last year for improvements involving the hospital's Emergency Department and psychiatric wards.
