Uber and Grab are replacing taxis in Malaysia through their ride-hailing services which are now dominant in the market. In the near future, the ambulance call service may be introduced by the Malaysian Ministry of Health (KKM).
According to the CodeBlue report, KKM Deputy Secretary General (Finance) Norazman Ayob said they are considering collaboration with private hospitals to offer ambulance services that users can call using smartphone applications such as Grab and Uber.
The nearest ambulance will then go to pick up the patient and the customer can then choose to be sent to a government or private hospital. Users can track the location of the called ambulance in real time while waiting for it to arrive.
Norazman Ayob added that the Ministry of Health is discussing with the Ministry of Finance for the Ministry of Health to no longer have any ambulances. Ambulances will soon be available for rent to those in need through the call-to-ambulance app with drivers and possibly paramedics providing first aid.
Through this service, the nearest ambulance can be called immediately without having to call 999 first and this can speed up the process of providing assistance compared to the existing system.