KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 – The Ministry of Health (MOH) expects the acquisition of 400 new ambulances provided under Budget 2027 to significantly bolster national emergency response services, following a year where Priority 1 emergency response times missed key performance benchmarks.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad informed the Dewan Rakyat on Monday, October 12, 2026, that the ministry’s response rate for critical Priority 1 emergencies reached 34.01 per cent in 2025, falling short of the 50 per cent KPI target for ambulance arrival within 15 minutes.
The minister affirmed that the MOH and the Health Director-General are closely analyzing emergency dispatch performance metrics to eliminate bottlenecks and upgrade response speeds nationwide.
System Modernization, Rural Specialist Access, and Cluster Hospital Networks
The Health Ministry outlined key operational upgrades and resource-sharing strategies to address urban-rural healthcare disparities:
- Budget 2027 Medical Fleet Expansion: Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim allocated over RM770 million under Budget 2027 for medical equipment upgrades and 400 new ambulances to accelerate diagnostic and emergency treatment.
- MERS 999 System Upgrades: The MOH is enhancing Malaysia Emergency Response Services (MERS) 999 operations while strictly monitoring patient transfer indicators, including initial ambulance activation turnaround times.
- Real-Time Paramedic Guidance: Paramedics operating in the field receive continuous real-time resuscitation guidance and medical advice from emergency medicine specialists to optimize critical care during transport.
- Response Delays Addressed: Responding to supplementary queries from Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias (BN-Jelebu) regarding ambulance delays up to an hour in Jelebu, Dr Dzulkefly reiterated that systematic reviews are underway to streamline emergency dispatch protocols.
- Cluster Hospital Network Expansion: To reduce regional healthcare gaps, 43 hospital clusters have been established nationwide, allowing major regional hospitals to share medical specialists, resources, and diagnostic equipment with unequipped rural facilities.
- Outreach Clinical & Global Surgery Services: The ministry is extending chronic disease screening and clinical care to rural health clinics, alongside deploying visiting specialists to non-specialist rural hospitals to perform procedures such as cataract and hernia surgeries under the global surgery initiative.
The ministry remains committed to utilizing new fleet assets to ensure equitable, rapid medical care for both urban and rural communities across Malaysia.
–NMT
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