Health Minister Dr Adham Baba and his ministry have refuted claims that the Health Ministry (MOH) are in the process of buying 500 negative pressure ambulances.
This comes after Pakatan Harapan criticised the decision to buy 500 negative pressure ambulances as “clear wastage” which does not help solve the Covid-19 crisis.
“The report has been misinterpreted. Actually, the health minister said in the press conference, ‘We will open tender for 500 ambulances, and for other ambulances, we will use a leasing system according to zones so that logistics for Covid-19 patients anywhere can be handled’.
“He said this during a ceremony to hand over negative pressure ambulances to transport Covid-19 patients at the low-risk quarantine centre at Maeps on June 19.
“In the statement, there are no mentions that all 500 of the ambulances will be negative pressure ambulances, as misunderstood and misreported by certain parties,” Health Ministry secretary-general Mohd Shafiq Abdullah said in a statement today.
The ministry said it had opened tenders for the purchase of 490 ambulances on June 17, 2021.
In an Utusan Malaysia report, Adham also said that the allocation approved by the government is meant for the purchase of normal ambulances, and not negative pressure ambulances.
He also said the purchase of the ambulances had been planned by the ministry since three years ago, to replace existing ambulances that are no longer operating optimally.
However, Mohd Shafiq said the Health Ministry believes that negative pressure ambulances can be used in the fight against Covid-19 currently as well as in the future, due to its negative pressure system, high-efficiency particulate air (Hepa) filtration and UV lights.
A negative pressure ambulance has a special low air pressure chamber to transport patients. The low air pressure means air can only get into the chamber but not out. - Mkini
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