FLOODS The Royal Malaysian Air Force was today involved in a mercy flight using the C-130 Hercules aircraft to transfer 10 kidney patients from flood-affected areas to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL).

The mission was headed by senior medical officer from the RMAF Institute of Aviation Medicine, Lt-Col Dr A Saravanan, along with a specialist from the Ampang Hospital and three paramedics.

They left Kota Bahru at 2.45pm and arrived at the RMAF air base in Subang at 3.45pm

Saravanan said the kidney patients had earlier been transferred from the flood-affected areas to the Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital (HUSM) in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan to undergo haemodialysis.

"As there were many kidney patients from flood affected areas and the equipment was scarce, the Health Ministry agreed to shift them to HKL to receive treatment," he told reporters in Petaling Jaya today.

According to Saravanan, the patients would undergo haemodialysis in HKL before being allowed to go home.

He said as of now there were no further instructions to transfer critical patients from hospitals affected by floods to other hospitals in the Klang Valley.

A 53-year old kidney patient from Pasir Mas, Mohd Taib Daud, a policeman, said he has been suffering from renal failure for the past 13 years and received treatment in Kota Bahru.

"As the hospital was flooded, we were transferred to HUSM before being told that we will be flown by RMAF to HKL for treatment," said the father of nine, who added that his family in Pasir Mas was not aware of his transfer.

Firefighters rescue flood victims in Kota Bahru

In another development in Kota Bahru today, six firefighters on a mission to rescue flood victims in Manek Urai took eight hours to reach their destination by boat from Kuala Krai town.

The distance between Kuala Krai town to Manek Urai is only 27 kilometres and takes about 30 minutes by road under normal weather conditions, but the route was flooded now.

Kelantan Fire and Rescue Department senior assistant superintendent Abdul Manaf Jaafar said in the incident three days ago, they took eight hours to reach the evacuation centre at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Manek Urai, where the food supply had been cut off.                                                        

"With the current flood situation we had to face many obstacles to get to the school. We had to negotiate strong currents and quickly dodge floating objects like timber and the darkness was no help," Abdul Manaf said when contacted by Bernama .

"I saw several houses being washed away with my own eyes. We also had to be careful to avoid telephone and electric cables and piles of rubbish being swept away before reaching the evacuation centre safely at 2am," he added.

- Bernama