Health Ministry approves 400 additional ambulances

KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry has approved 400 additional ambulances to improve emergency response services nationwide, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

Speaking in parliament today, he said the ministry had also set a key performance indicator (KPI) target for 50 per cent of Priority 1 (P1) emergency calls to receive an ambulance response within 15 minutes.

"We have set our KPI target at a 15-minute response time for critical and emergency cases," he said.

P1 cases involve immediately life-threatening conditions or critical emergencies requiring urgent, life-saving intervention and the fastest possible response.

Dzulkefly said the national achievement for P1 case responses in 2025 was 40 per cent, below the 50 per cent target.

"This is below the 50 per cent KPI target that we established," he said.

He said the ministry was also increasing ambulance capacity in Jelebu, with five ambulances allocated to the district.

Two ambulances are expected to arrive this year, while procurement for another two is under way, he said.

Dzulkefly said the ministry regularly analysed pre-hospital care and ambulance service performance to improve emergency response times.

It was also strengthening coordination under the Next Generation Malaysian Emergency Response Services (NG999) system.

He said patient transfer performance was continuously monitored through three specific KPIs, including ambulance activation time.

He added that paramedics received real-time medical guidance from emergency medicine specialists, who advised them on treatment and resuscitation procedures at the scene.

He was responding to Datuk Seri Haji Jalaluddin bin Haji Alias (BN-Jelebu), who asked about measures to address disparities in access to doctors, specialists and diagnostic facilities between urban hospitals and hospitals and health clinics in rural districts.