The partnership will enable usages such as remote telemetry of diagnostics and imaging, in addition to XR-powered telemedicine service

by SHAFIQQUL ALIFF / pic credit: firstambulance.business.site

FIRST Ambulance Services Sdn Bhd (FAS) and YTL Communications Sdn Bhd has announced their strategic partnership to uplift the ambulance service standards in Malaysia using 5G, through YES 5G Smart Ambulance service.

The partnership will enable usages such as remote telemetry of diagnostics and imaging, in addition to extended reality (XR) powered telemedicine service.

YTL Communications CEO Wing K Lee said the high performance of 5G will also enable another first-in-Malaysia — implementation of XR to allow doctors to provide real-time guidance to the technicians in the ambulance.

He said these innovations will improve the speed and precision of emergency care and save lives.

“As the first telecommunication company in Malaysia to bring 5G services to the rakyat, YTL Communications believes firmly in the transformational power of 5G and we are grateful to have played a role in supporting FAS to improve emergency care using YES Fleet with 4G.

“The exciting leapfrog to 5G will enable new possibilities such as first-in-Malaysia real-time streaming of ultrasound and electrocardiogram (EKG) telemetry,” he said during the launch of the first 5G Smart Ambulance in Malaysia and also the memorandum of understanding between both companies last Friday.

FAS MD Steven Penafort said the firm is excited to utilise the high bandwidth and low latency 5G connectivity to transmit patient’s healthcare data such as EKG telemetry and ultrasound images to the emergency care doctors — while the ambulance is en route to the hospital — to dramatically improve triage time and hospital readiness to care for the patient upon arrival.

He also hopes that the 5G Smart Ambulance will enable an integrated workflow between ambulances and hospitals for the benefit of the patients and look forward to working with hospitals to embrace 5G as the coverage expands nationally.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar who was also present during the event said also he is pleased to see the collaboration, as it is in line with the vision of the Ministry of Health (MoH) to improve the overall efficiency and quality of emergency medical services in Malaysia.

“Harnessing the power of 5G to use the time spent en route to the hospital enables effective triage using real-time feeds of patient telemetry and medical imaging.

“In addition, 5G-based XR will transform the ways we care for patients and save lives. I look forward to seeing broader adoption of 5G technology across all sectors in public health, including our hospitals,” Khairy Jamaluddin added.

In a separate matter, Khairy Jamaluddin said the MoH has issued a directive to the Food Safety and Food Quality Division to step up enforcement at Ramadhan bazaars that receive complaints of food contamination incidents.

He said that based on quick complaints, the authorities in charge of the area could take action against traders, especially in Ramadhan bazaars, especially bazaars involved in food contamination complaints.

“I have also asked them to issue a statement later on food poisoning cases, but at the same time, I ask the public to always be vigilant with food sold at the Ramadhan bazaar before buying in preparation for breaking fast.

“I have also asked consumers to lodge complaints immediately if food contamination is detected in the Ramadhan bazaar,” he said.