
'Lifesaver Card' Vital During
Emergencies
Card will
contain medical details and emergency contact numbers of cardholder
THE MALAY MAIL, FRIDAY APRIL
25 2003
SOMETIMES the smallest most insignificant things can save your life
- such as a card.
On Saturday, the Malaysian Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association (MVFRA)
launched the Emergency Data Card sponsored by Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) at
the Atria Shopping Centre in Damansara Jaya.
This lifesaver card contains the medical details and emergency
contact numbers of the cardholder.
The card is especially helpful in emergencies such as accidents and
heart attacks as the information will enable emergency services personnel
to obtain instant up-to-date information about accident victim.
The launch was officiated by Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr.
Suleiman Mohamed.
"The Government and the Health Ministry fully supports the use of the
Emergency Data Card," Suleiman said.
"It is imperative that every Malaysian has this card."
The card, a brainchild of MVFRA Volunteer Captain K. Balasupramaniam will
be distributed to the public at t he Atria Shopping Centre at Damansara
Jaya for the next three weeks before going nationwide.
The non-Government organization is hopping that the private sector would
help fund the printing and the distribution of the cards.
"We hope the corporate sector can help us in ensuring that more Malaysians
carry this card," said Balasupramaniam.
TNB's senior manager of the occupational safety and health department,
Fazil Mat Zin said the card is useful for its workers as well.
"We will make sure that all TNB staff carry this card because it is useful
for their safety," Fazil said.
"For instance, the knowledge of a worker suffering from epilepsy is
crucial as it will help us make sure he will not be scaling electric
poles."
Patricia Patrick, a worker at the Tasputra Perkim school for handicapped
children, who attended the launch said: " The card is useful during
emergencies. I am taking several home to give to every member of my
family."
For a start, MVFRA is distributing 25,000 of the cards to Malaysian
throughout the country.