KUALA LUMPUR, August 28 — Less than a month after a Slim River Hospital ambulance encountered a fatal accident from a burst tyre, the tyre of another ambulance from the government facility exploded on the road today.
The tyre blowout involving the ambulance with the number plate BMD 1465 happened in Trolak, Perak, at about 1 something this afternoon.
“There was no accident; it was just a burst tyre,” the ambulance room from Slim River Hospital confirmed with CodeBlue.
A source told CodeBlue separately that all the passengers in the Ministry of Health (MOH) hospital ambulance were safe.
Last August 4, a Slim River Hospital ambulance crashed in Slim River, Perak, killing the driver and patient, which early police investigations said was caused by a burst tyre.
Several Slim River Hospital staff have since complained that the MOH hospital’s ambulances previously suffered burst tyres, while carrying patients, up to three times this year before the fatal August 4 accident, and three more times last year. Those incidents didn’t result in crashes.
Hospital workers also alleged various problems with the condition of ambulances, including Ambulance W4802M from the fatal accident that they claimed had a busted door handle and radio, and a missing seatbelt on the stretcher. They further alleged shoddy maintenance of the public hospital’s ambulances and said staff complaints were often ignored.
The Association of Health Ministry Drivers in Peninsular Malaysia (KPPKKSM) has urged health officials to address the Slim River Hospital staff’s allegations.
The union also threatened to file a complaint with anti-corruption authorities if UEM Edgenta, the concessionaire in charge of the hospital’s vehicle maintenance, was found to have leakages in maintaining the ambulance in the fatal August 4 crash.
