TANJONG MALIM: The 24-hour emergency service operation at the Tanjong Malim health clinic will be reinstated in the near future, according to Tanjong Malim Member of Parliament, Chang Lih Kang.
Chang said that, following discussions with the Ministry of Health (MOH), Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad has agreed to deploy an emergency unit team along with medical officers, ambulance drivers, and ambulance vehicles at the clinic to facilitate emergency health services for the local community, especially outside working hours.
"With the presence of higher education institutions, the Proton City, and the Automotive High Technology Valley (AHTV) project, the need for this emergency unit to operate is essential. Moving forward, the emergency services will operate as they did before (24 hours)," he said when met after attending the Deepavali celebration event for the Tanjong Malim Parliament at Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan (SMJK) Katholik Tanjong Malim yesterday.
Previously, the cessation of the 24-hour emergency service at the clinic had sparked negative responses from the local residents who wanted the service to be reinstated due to the distance of Slim River Hospital from the area.
On Nov 21, Dr Dzulkefly decided not to reinstate the 24-hour emergency service at the Tanjong Malim Health Clinic, as it conflicted with the existing policies and functions of the facility. Meanwhile, Chang, who is also the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, advised the residents of Tanjong Malim not to rely solely on this unit and to activate the emergency 999 call service if an unforeseen event occurs.
"We cannot rely solely on this unit because accidents or emergencies are unpredictable. So, to assist them in their duties, I encourage the residents to also activate the emergency 999 service," he added. – BERNAMA