Chua orders probe into crash

NST: SEGAMAT: The Health Ministry is investigating an ambulance accident on the North-South-Highway near Bangi where a doctor suffered serious injuries.
The ministry was seeking answers as to why Dr Nor Baizura Yahya, 24, accompanied a patient together with a nurse from Seremban Hospital to Selayang Hospital, said Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek.
Two people were seriously injured and four received outpatient treatment after the accident on Monday.
Dr Chua said the director- general had been instructed to find out "the actual situation behind this accident".
He said the maintenance of ambulances and other hospital vehicles was privatised to ensure they were in good working condition at all times.
After launching the Healthy Diet campaign in Labis yesterday, Dr Chua said: "This accident should not have happened. We want to find out whether the tyre was in good condition and not worn out. If that is why the tyre burst, the party responsible for the maintenance of the vehicle will have to answer to us."
Dr Nor Baizura who was doing her housemanship at the Seremban Hospital, is still in critical condition in the Serdang Hospital. She has multiple head and spinal injuries, and punctured lungs.
Nurse Norhayati Buyong was also admitted to the intensive care unit with head injuries.
The patient, who was being moved to Selayang Hospital to have a severed hand reattached, the driver, attendant and a relative of the patient received minor injuries.
Dr Chua said that unless a patient was seriously injured, the doctor did not normally ride along in the ambulance, adding that all government doctors were insured, except for locums.