KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — The Health Ministry (MOH) expects the procurement of 400 new ambulances under Budget 2027 to strengthen emergency response services, as its response rate for critical Priority One emergencies remained below the national target in 2025.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the response rate for such cases stood at 34.01 per cent in 2025, below the key performance indicator target of 50 per cent for ambulance arrival within 15 minutes.
The MOH is systematically analysing ambulance response performance to identify areas for improvement, and the minister and the Health Director-General are closely monitoring the matter.
“The ministry is also strengthening the operations of the Malaysia Emergency Response Services (MERS) 999 system, while monitoring patient transfer performance through specific indicators, including ambulance activation time,” Dr Dzulkefly said during Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was responding to Jelebu MP Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias' supplementary question on ambulance standard operating procedures, following concerns over shortages and delays of up to an hour in ambulance arrivals for accident cases in his constituency, including an incident reportedly occurring just 500m from a hospital.
On Friday (October 9), Prime Minister cum Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced over RM770 million in allocations under Budget 2027 to accelerate diagnosis and treatment at healthcare facilities. This includes procuring advanced medical equipment and 400 new ambulances.
Meanwhile, Dr Dzulkefly said paramedics in the field also received real-time treatment and resuscitation guidance from emergency medicine specialists to improve the effectiveness of emergency care.
On access to specialist services in rural areas and disparities between urban and rural healthcare, the MOH is implementing several measures, including the cluster hospital concept, which allows hospitals to share resources, expertise and equipment.
He said 43 hospital clusters had been established nationwide, enabling major hospitals to support facilities without specialist services and expand access to medical treatment and expertise.
The ministry is also extending selected clinical services to rural health clinics and hospitals without specialists, particularly for chronic disease management, early screening, and continuity of patient care.
Access to surgery in rural areas is also being improved through the global surgery initiative, which enables specialists to visit hospitals without specialist services to perform procedures such as cataract and hernia surgery.
