TUARAN: A rural health clinic here will get a four-wheel-drive ambulance soon.
The Health Ministry said the decision was made as the Simpangan Health Clinic in Pekan Nabalu is on hilly terrain.
"Currently, emergency cases at Simpangan Health Clinic are handled by ambulances from Kundasang Health Clinic (20.2km away), Bundu Tuhan Health Clinic (15.1km away), and Tamparuli Health Clinic (40.3km away), either through direct calls between facilities or via the Medical Emergency Coordinating Centre (MECC).
"As the ministry's current acquisition focuses on van-type ambulances, procurement of four-wheel-drive ambulances will be carried out in the future," the ministry said.
It said this in a written reply in the Dewan Rakyat to a question posed by Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau (Upko–Tuaran) yesterday.
The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to delivering accessible and quality healthcare services to the public.
"This healthcare delivery includes ambulance services for emergency referrals.
"For your information, a total of 590 new van-type ambulances have been approved and are in the process of being distributed to hospitals and health clinics nationwide.
"This project aims to replace old and decommissioned ambulances.
"Under this project, 33 van-type ambulances will be distributed in phases to health clinics in Sabah by 2025," the ministry added.