His appeal comes in the wake of two deaths, that of a baby and an elderly woman in two separate instances, due to a delay in getting proper medical attention on time.

According to Yii, they died while on the way from rural areas to the hospital.

He said it was also a sad state of affairs that Malaysians in rural areas were deprived of quality healthcare in this day and age.

“This is a clear symptom of under-investment and neglect in our healthcare services, especially in rural areas,” he said in a statement.

He added that there was a need to identify several factors, including poverty and access to basic amenities, in order to properly resolve these issues.

“However, these issues do not fall under the health ministry’s purview,” Yii said.

The Sarawak DAP publicity secretary said this is why a comprehensive “federal-state inter-ministry and inter-agency framework” was needed to develop a blueprint to ensure no one is left behind and such incidents do not reoccur.

Yii went on to express hope that the newly-appointed health minister and her deputy would spearhead such an initiative to identify the issues and allocate the necessary resources to better equip health facilities in rural areas.

There was also a need to ensure these facilities have the necessary specialists and manpower to ensure patients are transferred properly and without delay.

“All this requires political will and, more importantly, for ministries not to work in silos anymore.”

It was reported on Dec 5 that a nine-month-old died in its mother’s arms while travelling on a bus from Julau to Kuching for treatment.

On Tuesday, an elderly woman from Lawas died at the Sungai Tujoh immigration, customs, quarantine and security point after the ambulance could not pass through the locked gate, which was unmanned.