Introduce ‘motorlances’ in congested cities, say health experts

 

Bangkok’s city council recently launched a fleet of 50 motorcycle-ambulances fitted with first aid tools and manned by trained staff. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: A former deputy health minister and a public health specialist have called for the introduction of motorcycle-ambulances, or “motorlances”, in Kuala Lumpur and other congested cities in the country to enhance emergency response time.

Former deputy health minister Dr Lee Boon Chye said these motorcycle-ambulances would be a valuable addition to the existing ambulance service in Malaysia.

“It will be effective in cities with traffic jams, where ambulances may be caught in traffic, leading to delays in providing first aid,” he told FMT, adding that they should complement conventional ambulances rather than replace them.

The ex-Gopeng MP said patients requesting ambulance services fall into two groups – those who need to be sent to a hospital and those requiring first aid.

“Those requiring transportation to the nearest healthcare facility could be stroke patients or bedridden individuals, while the second category would be those needing first aid to stabilise conditions like cardiac arrests or road accidents before being transported to the hospital,” said Lee.

These motorcycle-ambulances could attend to the latter category, he added.

Dr Farhan Rusli, a public health specialist formerly working with the Selangor government, said such an initiative would ensure faster response to emergencies and should have been implemented decades ago.

He said a similar initiative in central London has helped saved lives by reducing wait time in emergencies.

Farhan also said it was crucial that those manning motorlances be both paramedics skilled in first aid response and trained riders.

“We are not talking about your traditional motorcycles, but the ones used by the police as traffic escorts. They (policemen) have to go through a series of training protocols, so those manning these ‘motorlances’ should do the same.”

Last month, Bangkok’s city council launched a fleet of 50 motorcycle-ambulances fitted with first aid tools and manned by trained staff.

Sarawak embarked on a similar pilot project in 2019. Attempts to contact state health minister Dr Sim Kui Hian for an update on the initiative have been unsuccessful.

A year earlier, Penang introduced a variation of the initiative, involving volunteers, while in June, the Melaka civil defence force initiated a study on their introduction in the state.

However, Lee and Farham differed over which agency should take the lead in its implementation, with the ex-minister saying it should be overseen by the health ministry.

This, he said, would ensure that the quality of care given by the mobile paramedics meets ministry standards and allow the service to be incorporated into the existing emergency response system.

However, Farhan said the health ministry was already stretched by numerous pressing matters and proposed that other agencies or departments take the lead.

“Decentralising or even utilising other services such as the fire and rescue department will be far more effective,” he said, adding that fire stations were strategically placed throughout various cities, allowing them to provide critical, prompt response to emergencies. - FMT