Ambulance arrived late, says dad of victim

Life could have been saved if ambulance arrived earlier

KOTA KINABALU, April 13, 2011: Family and Friends of a fatal road accident victim have expressed dissatisfaction over alleged late arrival of ambulance on the scene.

Eddie Ong said his 22-years-old son, Keith Ong Ket Foo, who died in the car crash at Lintas Road, near Iramanis, early Sunday, could have been saved if the ambulance arrived earlier. He claimed that eyewitnesses had told him that the ambulance only arrived on the scene about 45 minutes after the accident, Long after the Fire and Rescue Department personnel had taken the badly injured victim out of the car.

The family and friends of the victim brought the matter to the attention of SAPP Luyang Youth on Monday with the hope that the relevant authority would take steps to improve the ambulance service.

"One of my son's friends who arrived on the scene early after receiving a call from another friend checked his time and it showed that the ambulance arrived only about 45 minutes later," Eddie claimed.

SAPP Luyang Youth chief Yong Yit Yoong, who contacted the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for the comment, was informed by an officer that the hospital would immediately dispatch its ambulance and medical team after receiving a distress call, but there is no assurance on arrival time.

"We are not doctors and we cannot say for sure that Keith could be saved, but we believe there's always a better chance of it had the ambulance arrived on the scene early." Yong said.

"Furthermore, it was just a short distance of less than six km and there was no traffic congestion at that time," he added.

Yong thus reiterated his call to the relevant authority to improve its emergency response time in order to save lives.