NG MERS 999: COMMUNICATIONS MINISTRY, MOH JOINT COMMITTEE TO MONITOR EFFECTIVENESS

PUTRAJAYA,  Nov 21 (Bernama) -- A special joint committee involving the Communications Ministry and Health Ministry (MOH) will be formed to ensure the efficiency and reliability of the new Next Generation Malaysian Emergency Response Services 999 (NG MERS 999).

In a joint statement, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil and Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad noted that the committee will review technical and operational issues, oversee the seamless delivery of emergency services and provide weekly reports to the Cabinet.

“Both ministers also visited the NG MERS 999 Control Centre today. Since the system began operating up to noon today, NG MERS 999 has received 323,957 calls, with 170 professional emergency officers handling them across 1,302 workstations.

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“Ninety-five per cent of the calls were processed within eight seconds. The 24-hour Technical Support Centre is also available nationwide to provide support and maintenance whenever needed,” according to the statement.

It also stated that the MOH is implementing an interim workflow to manage medical emergency calls, ensuring optimal clinical and medical responses.

“Through these adjustments, the ambulance activation process can be carried out in a more orderly fashion, following workflow procedures that have been proven reliable before the integration,” the statement said, adding that the matter was noted at today’s Cabinet meeting.

It said that the NG MERS 999 system continues to operate at full capacity as the national emergency platform with all agencies, including the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), the Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM), the Civil Defence Force (APM) and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), adding that the 999 Response Centre will also receive calls via the NG MERS 999 system.

“The Medical Emergency Coordination Centre (MECC) remains an integral part of the NG MERS 999 ecosystem and continues to coordinate calls requiring the involvement of other agencies through the NG MERS 999 control centre,” read the statement.

NG MERS 999 was developed to enhance the nation’s emergency response through a faster, more accurate, modern and inclusive communications network, and became fully operational on Nov 16, as the successor to the MERS 999 system first introduced in 2007.

NG MERS 999 covers 837 operational locations, with an estimated annual operating cost of around RM113 million, reflecting expanded coverage, enhanced infrastructure capabilities, inter-agency integration, and increased cybersecurity requirements.

“This system is a critical component in the delivery of national emergency services involving five main agencies, namely PDRM, JBPM, APM, MMEA and MOH,” it added.

SaveME999 (for the public) and Responder App (for responders) were developed to support the NG MERS 999 system, with a subscription cost of RM880,000 for both, representing 0.78 per cent of the annual operating cost and including database services.

The SaveME999 app, developed in 2013, now integrates three existing applications, SaveMEBlind, SaveMEDeaf, and SaveMEPolice, designed specifically for digitally transmitting location and emergency information, and continues to serve as an additional channel within the NG MERS 999 ecosystem.

-- BERNAMA