KUALA LUMPUR – The flying doctor services (FDS) operation will continue despite yesterday’s helicopter crash in Long Lellang, Sarawak, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
He said there was no need to suspend the service as it played an important role in ensuring access to healthcare services, particularly for communities in rural areas.
“We will continue. There is no need (to suspend the service). The FDS provides universal health coverage, so we will continue and strengthen it,” he said at a press conference here today.
Also present at the press conference were Health director-general Datuk Dr Mahathar Abd Wahab and deputy health director-general (Public Health) Dr Ismuni Bohari.
Elaborating on FDS operations, Dzulkefly said the Ministry of Health (MOH) did not own its own helicopter assets to operate the service, but instead provided it through a contractual leasing arrangement that also covered maintenance.
He said the Health Ministry (MoH) would continue to obtain updates on the operation from the authorities from time to time, given that the crash site is in a remote area with challenging access.
He said MoH’s three immediate priorities were the safety of health personnel involved in the Flying Doctor Service (FDS), ensuring the welfare of the victims’ families and next of kin, and maintaining the continuity of healthcare services for the community, particularly in remote areas.
Meanwhile, Dzulkefly said the ministry’s Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) team had been mobilised and was providing support to the victims’ families through Psychological First Aid (PFA) and ongoing emotional support.
He said other assistance, including financial aid or ex-gratia payments to the victims’ families, would also be arranged by MoH.
Support was also being extended to FDS personnel affected by the incident.
Yesterday, a BO-105 helicopter carrying five people, including the pilot, crashed near the Long Lellang Short Take-Off and Landing Airport (STOLport) in Ulu Baram, Sarawak. – September 9, 2026