Health is a right, not a privilege… No one should have to choose between buying medicine and buying food.
— Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Director-General of the WHO).
NOW that the Flying Doctor Service (FDS) operations in Sarawak have been temporarily suspended following the recent helicopter crash at Long Lellang, how are remote communities coping without access to medical care?
Many have depended on scheduled FDS visits for medical consultations, medication refills and follow-up treatment.
When an air service is suspended, what happens to these patients?
Let’s take the people of Long Lellang as an example.
Long Lellang is a remote highland village in northern Sarawak, in the Marudi District of Miri Division. It is in the interior of the Baram area and very close to the Kalimantan border.
Long Lellang is about six hours by road from Marudi and about seven hours by road from Miri. It can also be reached by air, through Long Lellang Airport, a STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) airport.
Supplies can be transported by longboat and by road travel.
Until the recent helicopter crash, it had a weekly Flying Doctor service.
The suspension of the FDS operations means patients in Long Lellang who need to see a doctor now have to travel by road either to Marudi or Miri or take a plane and fly straight to Miri. They can also opt to travel by boat to the nearest functioning clinic.
Whatever mode of transport they use, it means spending more money and time to reach the healthcare facilities.
Some may even postpone their treatment because they find the journey too difficult or expensive.
Badly affected by the suspension of the FDS operations are those who need regular treatment or specialist attention like the critically ill and pregnant women.
The suspension of the Flying Doctor Service creates a serious healthcare-access problem for remote communities. These services exist precisely because many settlements in the interior cannot be reached easily by road or other conventional transport.
So, beyond the crash itself, the government’s next major challenge is how to maintain medical access to isolated communities while aviation safety is being reviewed.
After the Long Lellang crash, how will remote communities get healthcare?
According to the Ministry of Health recently, 97 localities in Kapit, Miri and Limbang currently required FDS services. Visits were generally monthly although some locations were visited every two months depending on operational capacity
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad confirmed that all FDS operations in Sarawak had been temporarily suspended to allow safety investigations and a review of the service.
An air accident investigation is underway. The cause of the crash has not yet been established. Authorities are examining the circumstances surrounding the accident, including whether weather conditions may have been a factor.
Five people died including pilot Captain Zainol Afiq Bee Sham, medical office Dr Ainul Baraah Kamaruddin, an assistant medical officer and two nurses when the FDS heicopter crashed near the Long Lellang Short Runway Airport on Sept 8 at about 3.58 pm.
The remains of all five victims have been recovered and formal identification procedures have been carried out.
Prime Minister Anwar Datuk Seri Ibrahim has offered government assistance to the families and appealed to the public not to speculate while investigations continue.
The Sarawak government has announced financial assistance of RM100,000 to each family of the FDS personnel, including help with the children’s education.
The Long Lellang helicopter, BO-105 9M-LLF, was a privately operated aircraft chartered for the FDS mission.
Dr Dzulkefly explained MOH did not own its own helicopter assets for FDS. Instead, the aircraft are provided through a contractual leasing arrangement that also covers maintenance.
FDS has been operating in Sarawak for more than 50 years, taking healthcare into some of the state’s most inaccessible communities. How long will the temporary suspension last and are other helicopters/services being considered for the FDS operations?
Dr Dzulkefly explained that for the time being, emergency medical evacuation (medevac) services will continue through cooperation between the Health Ministry and the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba).
He added the ministry would also hold further discussions with the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) to explore the use of military assets to transport patients requiring emergency treatment to suitable healthcare facilities.
Dr Dzulkefly revealed that the ministry was also reassessing FDS locations and access methods including alternative transportation and other safe and practical approaches to ensure rural communities continue to have access to healthcare services.
He acknowledged the difficulties and challenges that could arise from the temporary suspension but stressed that the safety of healthcare personnel and patients remained the ministry’s priority besides ensuring continuity of healthcare services for rural communities.
In conclusion, the Long Lellang helicopter crash signifies more than an aviation tragedy. It highlights the heavy reliance of remote communities on air access for essential healthcare and underscores the need to rethink how medical services are delivered to some of Sarawak’s most isolated communities.
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at adelinel888@gmail.com.
