Ministry of Health to order 500 more negative pressure ambulances

At the handover ceremony of the first negative-pressure ambulance over the weekend, the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced that they will be putting in another order for 500 more units.

Negative pressure ambulances will be used to ferry Covid-19 positive patients to their assigned locations when needed. The ambulances will come in handy with the continuously high number of positive cases, especially in red-zone locations.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Adham Baba told Bernama that they will begin with the tender of 500 units and they will use a leasing system according to zones.

Other than the negative pressure system, the ambulance is also fitted with a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter and ultraviolet (UV) lights. The filter will help trap the virus from spreading while the UV lights will clean the air.

The ambulance is also equipped with an isolation chamber which is made from a special Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) film and strengthened by inserting ABS poles along each side of the structure.

Both the ambulance cabin and isolation chamber are also fitted with a safety alarm that alerts medical personnel of any air leakages. This will give the personnel on duty the opportunity to take quick action in the event of any leakages.

The ministry hopes that the negative pressure ambulance will help resolve logistical issues concerning Covid-19 patients in the country.

The first negative pressure ambulance and 2 other regular ambulances were handed over by Weststar Group Automotive Division chief executive officer Syed Muhammad Ammar Syed Azman.

The handover ceremony was held at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park (MAEPS) Covid-19 Quarantine and Low-Risk Treatment Centre (PKRC) on Saturday.

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