Malaysia Fire and Rescue to launch HEMS operations
The helicopter emergency medical service will be used to transfer patients and provide services to rural communities
The new helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) from the Malaysia Fire and Rescue Department, called the Emergency Medical Air Rescue Services (EMARS), will begin operations on 15 April.
It will initially employ a Leonardo AW109 helicopter, modified for HEMS operations.
According to the department’s Director General, Datuk Abdul Wahab Mat Yasin, the service will primarily ‘be used to transfer [patients] from hospital to hospital and facilitate access to services for residents in rural areas’.
He added that this especially new service would particularly benefit ‘the Orang Asli native community, who are known to have difficulty using land routes’.
A Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) helicopter played a key role in assisting areas impacted by severe flooding in January.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at the Voyageur Group. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.