Senator defends Dzulkefly after calls to resign over chopper crash

A senator has come to the defence of Dzulkefly Ahmad following calls for the health minister’s resignation over his handling of the fatal helicopter crash in Sarawak that claimed the lives of four healthcare workers.

Dr RA Lingeshwaran said Dzulkefly’s resignation was not the answer to a long-standing systemic issue.

He said that issues related to the public healthcare sector, including safety concerns over the Flying Doctor Service (FDS) and the allowance for health workers in the FDS, had been dealt with in stages.

He said there were also other initiatives in the pipeline.

“But we need to understand the reality of government bureaucracy.

“A minister cannot implement these initiatives immediately as they require approval from the finance ministry, public services department and related agencies.

“There are also government procedures (that must be taken into account),” Lingeshwaran, a former hospital director, said in a statement.

He was responding to a report by health portal CodeBlue on calls for Dzulkefly’s resignation.

Lingeshwaran also reiterated his call for a health service commission.

“Set it up while you are still a health minister,” he said.

The BO-105 helicopter carrying the four healthcare workers crashed on Tuesday en route from Miri Airport to Long Lellang, resulting in their deaths as well as that of the pilot.