Medical and rescue team go up Mt Kinabalu

comments     Bernama     Published     Updated

A medical team together with a fire and rescue team have ascended Mt Kinabalu to provide treatment, food and clothing to victims stranded by yesterday's earthquake.

Health director general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the medical team and Emergency Medical Response Team (EMRT) was headed by an emergency medical specialist.

He said another EMRT headed by an emergency medical specialist was also at Kinabalu Park to treat victims.

Dr Noor Hisham said following the incident, the health ministry had immediately activated its national Crisis Preparedness and Response (CPRC) operations room at the CPRC Sabah Health Department.

"The medical and emergency teams at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Sabah Women and Children's Hospital, Ranau Hospital and Tuaran Hospital had also been activated," he said in Kuala Lumpur.

"As of 11.30pm, 21 victims were reported to have received treatment, six at Ranau Hospital, one at Tuaran Hospital, and 14 at the private Gleneagles Hospital, while others were treated as outpatients," he said.

Dr Noor Hisham said the forensic team, public health team and mental health and Psychosocial response team were also on stand-by to provide assistance.

He said the health ministry would continue to cooperate with the relevant agencies to ensure that services could be provided comprehensively and effectively.

The 7.15 am earthquake at Ranau, measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale, is the strongest to have hit Malaysia.

Minor aftershocks had followed, which were also felt at Tambunan, Tuaran, Kota Kinabalu, and Kota Belud.

Meanwhile, family members of two mountain guides still listed as missing are hoping they will soon be found.

"We hope both of them will be found and be brought home immediately. We will accept whatever situation comes along...we are ready with whatever possibilities," said one of the family members, Catrine Ebi.

Catrine, 38, when met by Bernama , said the two guides are Josepeh Salungin, in his 30s, and Valerian Joannes, 26, from Kampung Bundu Tuhan, in Ranau

- Bernama



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