KUCHING, Jan 5: The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Air Unit undertook a life-saving mission today, transporting a critical patient from Miri Hospital to Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) for urgent medical intervention.
The 67-year-old patient, suffering from active bleeding, required immediate treatment by an interventional radiologist—a specialist available only at SGH. Recognizing the urgency, Miri Hospital sought Bomba’s assistance to ensure rapid transport.
In a letter to Sarawak Bomba Director Jamri Masran, Miri Hospital described the patient’s condition as stable but critical. “His current condition is alert and stable, requiring only minimal oxygen support at 3 litres per minute (3L/min) through a nasal prong. He can still obey commands and ambulate,” the hospital noted.
The Medevac operation was swiftly coordinated, with Bomba dispatching their MI-171 helicopter (registration M994-03) from its air base. The helicopter departed Miri Airport at 10.30am and picked up the patient, accompanied by a doctor and a family member, at Miri Hospital.
At 2.02pm, the helicopter landed at Sarawak Bomba’s headquarters in Tabuan Jaya, Kuching. The patient was immediately transferred to an awaiting SGH ambulance for further transport to the hospital.
The mission demonstrated the critical role of Bomba’s Air Unit in emergency medical services, bridging gaps in healthcare accessibility for Sarawakians.
After ensuring the patient’s handover, the helicopter returned to its air base, completing the life-saving operation.
This incident underscores the importance of inter-agency collaboration in addressing medical emergencies, particularly in regions with limited access to specialized healthcare.
