By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Sept 9: Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen has called for full accountability following the Flying Doctor Service (FDS) helicopter crash in Long Lellang, Baram, urging the government to conduct an independent audit of the entire FDS and Medevac fleet, strengthen aviation safety training, and provide adequate insurance coverage for frontline healthcare personnel, stressing that those who answer the call of duty “deserve a system that is equally committed to protecting them.”
In a statement today, Dr Yii said the tragedy, which claimed the lives of a pilot and four Ministry of Health (MOH) personnel on Sept 8, must serve as a turning point for lasting reforms rather than being treated as an isolated incident.
He extended his condolences to the families of the victims and expressed solidarity with doctors, nurses and medical assistants serving remote communities across Sarawak.
“Beyond the immediate grief, it raises hard questions about the age and airworthiness of the aircraft used for this service, the safety training and insurance coverage given to the personnel who fly on them, and the indemnity arrangements that health workers are made to sign before they board,” he said.
Dr Yii said these were systemic issues that required a comprehensive review by the Ministry of Health and the Public Service Department.
On compensation for the victims’ families, he said reports indicating that FDS personnel who die in service typically receive compensation of around RM10,000, if accurate, were grossly inadequate given the sacrifices made by healthcare workers in the line of duty.
“Compensation for these families must be substantial and commensurate with the sacrifice made, and an indemnity form signed by a health worker as a condition of service should never be relied upon to limit that sum,” he said.
He further argued that indemnity forms should not be used to shield any government agency, contractor or other party from accountability if negligence is found.
Should investigations by the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) determine that the helicopter was unfit to fly or inadequately maintained, Dr Yii said those responsible for deploying the aircraft must bear full responsibility.
“An indemnity signed by an employee in the ordinary course of their duties cannot and should not extinguish the government’s or relevant parties’ accountability for any possible negligence,” he added.
Dr Yii also called for mandatory aviation safety training and dedicated risk insurance coverage for all healthcare personnel involved in the Flying Doctor Service.
He said it was unacceptable for doctors and nurses to discover only after an incident that they had never been briefed on evacuation procedures, brace positions or basic emergency response measures, or that they lacked adequate insurance coverage.
As part of longer-term reforms, he proposed an independent audit of the entire FDS and Medevac fleet, the phased retirement of aircraft that fail to meet modern safety standards, and the replacement of existing indemnity forms with a government-backed insurance scheme.
He also urged the government to review the RM30 allowance provided to personnel involved in the service, saying any revision should reflect the actual risks faced rather than being a symbolic gesture.
Looking further ahead, Dr Yii called for a properly funded fleet renewal programme, a dedicated occupational health and safety framework for aeromedical personnel, independent oversight mechanisms, and a transparent compensation structure for death or disability in service.
“Safety training, insurance coverage and equipment upgrades must be built permanently into the Ministry’s annual budget for this service, not treated as an afterthought,” he said.
He warned that failure to address these concerns could discourage healthcare professionals from volunteering for or accepting postings that require them to serve Sabah and Sarawak’s interior communities, ultimately affecting healthcare access for rural populations.
“The people of Sarawak’s interior rely on the Flying Doctor Service because they have no other way to reach urgent medical care. The doctors, nurses and medical assistants who answer that call do so out of duty to their patients. They deserve a system that is equally committed to protecting them,” he said.
Dr Yii said he would raise the matter in Parliament and push for a substantive response from the ministries involved. — DayakDaily
