ONLY 34.1 per cent of Priority 1 emergency cases nationwide received an ambulance response within 15 minutes last year, falling 15.9 percentage points short of the Health Ministry’s key performance indicator (KPI) target.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said Priority 1 cases involved life-threatening emergencies, including critical trauma and other conditions requiring immediate intervention.
“The performance analysis is carried out systematically by the pre-hospital care and ambulance services to identify areas for improvement and enhance emergency response efficiency,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday.
He was responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias (BN-Jelebu) on standard operating procedures governing ambulance responses to emergency calls.
Dr Dzulkefly said the ministry was also improving coordination under the Malaysian Emergency Response Services (MERS) 999 system and increasing ambulance capacity, particularly in Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan.
Five ambulances are currently operating in the area, with two more scheduled to be added in 2027, he said.
Separately, responding to a question on disparities in access to doctors, specialists and diagnostic facilities between urban and rural hospitals, Dr Dzulkefly said the ministry had implemented cluster hospital arrangements and primary healthcare networks.
These arrangements allow hospitals to share resources, including medical equipment and diagnostic facilities, under the coordination of lead hospitals.
The ministry is also expanding specialist services to rural health clinics and hospitals without resident specialists through integrated cluster hospital arrangements.
Dr Dzulkefly said the model supported the management of chronic diseases, from early screening to primary care services. - October 12, 2026
